Monmouth County courts discriminated against people with poor English skills: feds

Following an investigation into discrimination by the Monmouth County courts, the U.S. Department of Justice has entered into a settlement with the New Jersey Judiciary to improve access to court services for people with limited or no command of English.

Monmouth County court staff refused to provide an interpreter for assistance with forms, failed to translate or explain vital documents and did not adequately inform staff of language access policies and procedures, the justice department said.

An employee who spoke out about the discrimination was retaliated against, the department said.

The settlement includes a statewide overhaul of court services provided to those members of the public who speak or read little or no English as well as damages of $89,718 for the unidentified employee who complained about the practices.

“People with limited English proficiency can lose their children, homes and fundamental rights when they face language barriers in our court systems,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the department’s Civil Rights Division.

The state judiciary did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The settlement does not mean the court system admitted to the failures, the justice department said.

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Under the Memorandum of Agreement, the New Jersey Judiciary must translate court forms and materials and make them available for distribution at courthouses. It must also develop mandatory language access training, provide training to prevent retaliation and issue public notices that explain the nonretaliation policy and complaint process in non-English languages.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will monitor the courts for two years.

The settlement came after a four-year investigation of the Monmouth County courts that began in 2019. In June 2023, the justice department notified the judiciary of its findings.

The Monmouth courts have already made improvements, such as including LCD screens with court information in different languages throughout the courthouse and making website content available in the five most frequently encountered non-English languages of court users.

Ken Serrano covers breaking news, crime and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Feds: Monmouth County courts failed to help people with no English