City worker alleges workplace violence by supervisor

Ralph Comitino, a civil servant for the public works department, addressed the Glen Cove City Council on Tuesday, alleging that he was assaulted on Oct. 6. Comitino claimed that Lou Saulino, the director of the city’s DPW, jumped across a conference table in City Hall and tried to hit him. 

Comitino alleged that the incident took place in front of Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck and other elected city officials while he was discussing promotions in the DPW. The mayor said she didn’t see the altercation. Comitino also said that Saulino interrupted him many times while he attempted to address the officials.

Although a complaint was filed with John Charon, of the city’s Human Resources Department, on Oct. 11, Comitino said he hasn’t heard back, and feels anxious when he sees Saulino.

Tom McDonald, vice president of the 882 Civil Service Employees Association, addressed the council with Comitino. McDonald said the alleged assault has not been addressed by the city.

Panzenbeck said she couldn’t address the situation publicly. “That’s a discussion with people that were in the room,” she said. 

Jimmy Ayers, a driver and shop steward for DPW, approached the podium with Comitino in solidarity. Ayers said that he was with Comitino when the complaint was filed. Human Resources tried to dissuade Comitino from filing the complaint, Ayers said. 

He posed a hypothetical situation to Tip Henderson, the city attorney. Ayers asked if he would have been removed from a meeting, or fired or arrested, had he approached the attorney’s desk with the same level of aggression Saulino is being accused of. 

“I won’t speak to hypotheticals,” Henderson said. “Is that possible? Certainly, but I can’t tell you that it would happen in any given situation.”

Panzenbeck said she assumed that Comitino had received an apology from Saulino. Comitino said he had, but he still felt uncomfortable in the same room with Saulino and inside City Hall, adding that he doesn’t go there alone. 

McDonald suggested that the alleged incident be handled by the city, and that an apology wasn’t sufficient. 

In a follow-up interview, Comitino said the meeting on Oct. 6 lasted for an hour, and the alleged attack happened less than 15 minutes into the meeting, when he was speaking. 

Saulino could not be reached for comment.