A Millville police sergeant has filed a lawsuit against the city’s police department alleging that he was retaliated against for pursuing an Internal Affairs investigation into a fellow officer.

The Daily Journal of Vineland reports Detective Sgt. Brian Starcher filed the lawsuit against Millville police, the city government and a series of “John Does” earlier this month in Cumberland County Superior Court.

The suit claims that Starcher’s initial attempts to report the officer’s wrongdoing went ignored by higher-ups, causing him to take extraordinary action to make his complaint go on the record.

Once his complaint was accepted, Starcher says he was reassigned to the Detective Division over his protest. Starcher claims his removal as firearms instructor was further retaliation.

Police and city officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.