Clark, New Jersey, is currently embroiled in a contentious legal battle following accusations that its former mayor and senior police figures engaged in racially discriminatory law enforcement practices. The state's Attorney General, Matthew Platkin, alongside the Division on Civil Rights, has initiated a lawsuit claiming that former Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, suspended Police Chief Pedro Matos, and current Police Director Patrick Grady orchestrated efforts to exclude minority individuals from the community.
The complaint asserts that Black and other non-white motorists faced systematic discrimination and harassment under directives from these town leaders. Bonaccorso, a Republican who governed Clark for approximately 25 years, resigned in January 2025 shortly after commencing his seventh term in office. His tenure ended amid a guilty plea relating to allegations of corruption including misuse of municipal resources to benefit his private landscaping business and forged signatures on permit applications tied to his company's operations.
Despite these controversies, Bonaccorso was re-elected in November 2024 before stepping down. Attempts to reach him for comment have been unsuccessful; his sole communication regarding the lawsuit was a terse, expletive-laden text message in response to inquiries.
The allegations against the town's leadership surfaced notably after a police officer secretly recorded racial slurs used by Bonaccorso, Matos, and another official in 2020. These recordings also exposed disparaging remarks directed at Black individuals. The town settled this specific matter out of court with a payment of $400,000; however, the underlying accusations regarding broader discriminatory practices continued to draw public attention.
Clark’s current mayor, Angel Albanese, also a Republican and Bonaccorso’s successor, has labeled the lawsuit as "frivolous," accusing Attorney General Platkin of politicizing the issue amid the conclusion of his term. Similarly, Charles Sciarra, representing Matos, criticized the timing and nature of the legal action.
Matos has remained on paid leave since July 2020 following intervention by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, which took control of the police department amid these events. He has initiated legal proceedings to prevent his termination from the town, with disciplinary actions still unresolved. The county prosecutor’s oversight concluded in March 2024.
The lawsuit contends that under Bonaccorso's leadership, Clark’s police department employed discriminatory policies targeting minorities. Data referenced by the Attorney General’s office indicate that between 2015 and 2020, Black individuals were stopped by police at a rate 3.7 times greater than white individuals, while Hispanic individuals were stopped 2.2 times more often than their white counterparts.
Following changes in law enforcement oversight starting in 2020, some racial disparities persisted albeit to a lesser degree, pointing toward improvements in policing conduct. These trends suggest the town began addressing such inequities after the conclusion of long-standing administrative practices.
Clark is a suburban community situated approximately 27 miles south of Manhattan, embedding these allegations within a broader socio-political environment that sees increased scrutiny of law enforcement and governmental accountability. The ongoing litigation seeks to hold implicated officials responsible for perpetuating racially biased institutional behaviors.