Two employees of the city Parking Authority claim they sustained retaliation for blowing the whistle on what they say was sexual harassment, bid rigging and mismanagement of money.

Lawyers for Joseph Bowen and Thomas Del Rosario filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Camden Friday accusing the authority's directors and commissioners of a pattern of harassment that started when they began questioning policies and practices.

Bowen, a property manager, was fired in August. Del Rosario, a systems specialist, was suspended without pay pending a hearing.

Both men had been on sick leave since June 29, claiming they suffered emotional distress because of a hostile working environment.

The executive director of the Parking Authority, Anthony Scarduzio, called the 50-page suit "a bunch of internal bickering and b---s---."

"They neglected their duties," he added. "They were a disgrace, these guys."

Scarduzio said action was taken against Bowen and Del Rosario after they failed to show up for work and to notify him they were taking a leave of absence.

The far-reaching complaint includes allegations that Scarduzio distributed calendars with pictures of naked women during an official office holiday party in 1998. When Bowen told him the female employees might find it offensive, Scarduzio ignored him, the complaint states.

Scarduzio is also accused of tipping off a favored vendor about a competing vendor's low bid. When Bowen and Del Rosario questioned the process, Scarduzio told them "he did not want to do business with the low bidder since the high bidder was willing to provide him with box seats to sporting events," the suit indicates.

Scarduzio, however, claims Bowen attempted to steer business to his personal associates and said he's turned evidence of it over to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

In addition to Scarduzio,the suit names four current commissioners and one former commissioner, the director of finance, the authority lawyer, and one other employee as defendants.

The lawyer named is Carlos Morcate, who represents Mayor Milton Milan in civil matters. Morcate and Scarduzio went golfing with Milan the day the mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges.

The complaint also alleges Bowen was ordered to clean up a vacant lot, belonging to commissioner William Jenkins, on company time.

When Bowen complainedabout the misappropriation of authority funds, Jenkins increased his criticism of Bowen's performance, became verbally abusive and even threatened to kill him, according to the lawsuit.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Jenkins said. "I have never threatened to kill anybody in my life."

Patricia Pierce of Willig, Williams & Davidson in Haddonfield is the lawyer for Bowen and Del Rosario.

"The price of integrity is too costly for the employees of Camden," Pierce said. "They brought the lawsuit as a way for the citizens of Camden to clean house. It is no longer business as usual."