Montclair State President Overturns Fat Joke Suspension

Joseph Aziz can continue his graduate studies at Montclair State University.   The school’s president, Susan Cole, caved to media pressure generated by the civil rights group, The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and revoked Aziz’s suspension for making fat jokes on YouTube and facebook about the girlfriend of a fellow student who heckled conservative activist Steve Lonegan during a presentation at the school last September.  The heckler who called Lonegan a racist and an American fascist while interrupting his presentation was never disciplined.

The YouTube video of the fat heckler was set to private within an hour of MMM asking the University for the identity of the heckler and if the heckler had also been disciplined.

Aziz declined to tell MMM the name of the heckler or the heckler’s girlfriend.

Cole revoked Aziz’s suspension in a letter dated Thursday after consulting with the University’s attorney.

“While Montclair State never should have issued its unconstitutional gag order in the first place, we commend President Cole for acting swiftly to end the situation once it became public,” said FIRE Senior Vice President Robert Shibley. “Since this unwarranted suspension prevented Mr. Aziz from attending any classes, we expect that Montclair State will make accommodations to ensure that he can get into the classes he needs as soon as possible. We also expect that the university will make sure that this unjust punishment does not appear on his records.”

Shibley offered to work with Cole on revising other University policies that violate students’s rights of free expression.

“Montclair State briefly tried to justify its decision by appealing to New Jersey’s anti-bullying law, but Aziz’s comments did not constitute bullying under the law’s definition of the term. Even if they had, Aziz’s speech still would have been protected by the First Amendment, which supersedes state law,” said FIRE’s Shibley. “While Montclair State recognized its error this time, several of the university’s policies could still be used to silence student speech in the future. FIRE would be pleased to work with President Cole to revise those policies to comply with the First Amendment, by which all public universities are legally and morally bound.”

Cole should take Shibley up on his offer.  She should also make sure the University’s code of conduct is not used as a weapon against students who do not subscribe to her administration’s political agenda.

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House Republicans Seem To Be Coming To Their Senses

Republicans in Congress have decided to put their own personal finances, and those of their Democratic colleagues in both the House and Senate, at risk, rather than to risk a global economic meltdown if the Democrats don’t get serious about reigning in our government’s runaway spending.

The New York Times is reporting that House Republicans have agreed to raise the debt ceiling for three months, with a requirement that both chambers of Congress pass a budget in that time and engage in deficit reduction negotiations.   Rather than drive the nation over a “fiscal cliff” or risk the government defaulting on its debt, the Boehner Brigade’s debt ceiling bill will include a provision that federal lawmakers not get paid if the Senate does not produce a budget.

Senate Majority Leader Harry’s Reid’s office issued a statement that sounded like they might go along.  Reid’s Senate has not passed a budget in four years.

Finally!  Washington Republicans have stopped drinking stupid juice!

Whoever came up with such a common sense idea of punishing the Congress for not doing its job rather than risking the global economy deserves a Nobel Prize.

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More Strange Justice: A Warning to Public Servants

By Art Gallagher

Last November I wrote Strange Justice, a piece about my observations of the criminal sentencings of former Brookdale Community Community College President Peter Burnham and former Eatontown Detective Philip Emanulle.

Both men were charged with Official Misconduct. Burnham pled guilty to the Official Misconduct Charge and to Theft.  He charged $24,000 on the college’s credit cards for personal expenses over an eight year period and used a $20,000 federal grant for his son’s tuition at Monmouth University for personal use after Brookdale had already paid the tuition. In addition to Official Misconduct, Emanuelle was charged with Sexual Assault, Criminal Coercion and Tampering with Evidence.  The Sexual Assault and Official Misconduct charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Emanuelle pled guilty to Coercion and Tampering.  Emanulle got five years probation.  Burnham was sentenced to five years in prison with the stipulation that he serve at least two years before he is eligible for release.

Burnham is in State Prison now.  A mutual friend tells me prison has not been easy for Burnham.  That is an understatement.   It hasn’t been easy for his family either.  Burnham had already lost his job and pension.  What was unexpected by his family is that he also lost his Social Security Benefits as a result of his conviction.

On January 8, Marlboro resident Mark Trawinski was sentenced to five months in prison for tax evasion.  Between 2002 and 2008, Trawinski didn’t pay the employment taxes withheld from his employees wages or the business’s employment taxes. He beat the government for $713,759 and used the money in part to purchase a $1 million home in Florida that he tried to hide from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the IRS.   In addition to his five months in prison, after Trawinski is released this spring he will be confined to his home for five months and he will undergo three years of supervised release.  He must also pay back the $713,759 to the IRS.

Why is Burnham doing two years hard time for stealing $44,000 while Emanulle got off with probation for Sexual Assault and and Trawinski got five months  for stealing $713,759?  Official Misconduct.

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Solutions Pregnancy & Health Center Educator Receives Sexual Risk Avoidance Designation

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Governor Christie’s Press Conference: NJ SAFE Task Force

Governor Chris Christie held a press conference this afternoon to announce the formation of the New Jersey SAFE Task Force which he has established to address violence control in the State.

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Governor Christie Acts on Violence Prevention with Comprehensive Review of the Intersection of Gun Control, Addiction, Mental Health and School Safety Issues

NJ SAFE Task Force will Study and Provide Recommendations on How to Better Prevent Violent Crime

Trenton, NJ – Acting on his commitment to take a full and comprehensive look at the intersection of gun control, addiction, mental health and school safety in New Jersey, Governor Christie today created the NJ SAFE Task Force. The Task Force will be chaired by two former attorneys general of New Jersey, a Democrat and a Republican, with a membership of individuals with expertise in the fields of mental health diagnosis and treatment, addiction services and treatment, gun control and law enforcement, and school safety. The task force’s review comes in the context of a state with among the toughest gun laws in the nation, including an existing assault weapons ban. Nonetheless, Governor Christie wants a full assessment to consider whether additional common sense measures are appropriate for New Jersey.

“Violence in our society has never been solely about firearms, and we would miss an opportunity to better prevent heinous crimes if we didn’t look at the complete picture,” said Governor Christie. “If we are truly going to take an honest and candid assessment of violence and public safety, we have to look more deeply at the underlying causes of many acts of violence. That means removing the stigma and evaluating issues of mental health, addiction, prevention and treatment services alongside the effectiveness of our firearms laws, enforcement mechanisms, and our school safety measures.

“My commitment has always been to evaluate public safety, criminal policy, and behavioral science with an approach that recognizes that these issues cannot be separated from one another. The SAFE Task Force will further my commitment in that regard as we look at how we can better guarantee violence control,” continued Governor Christie.

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The New Jersey SAFE Taskforce Builds On Governor Christie’s Record Of Taking A Comprehensive Approach To Addressing Violence, Addiction And Mental Health Issues

THE WHOLE PICTURE

CURBING GUN VIOLENCE IN NEW JERSEY

Governor Christie Is Committed To “Strictly Enforcing” New Jersey’s Gun Laws, “Which Are Some Of The Most Aggressive In The Country.” (Press Conference, 7/31/12)

• The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence Ranked New Jersey’s Gun Laws The Second Strongest In The Nation Behind Only California. (Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, “Brady 2011 State Scorecards: New Jersey,” Accessed: 1/17/13)

• The Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence Gives New Jersey An “A-” For 2012, Tied For The Highest Grade They Awarded. (“New Jersey State Law Summary,” The Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, 11/14/12)

New Jersey Is Leading The Nation In Gun Safety:

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Marlboro GOP Bids Carol Mazzola Adieu

“The Marlboro Republican Party was saddened but not surprised to learn that Carol Mazzola has chosen to switch parties to run for re-election. It had become increasingly obvious that Carol had turned her back on her supporters and supported an administration which has given Marlboro residents skyrocketing property taxes and irresponsible spending. If Carol supports an administration which has increased Marlboro’s debt to an all time high, pays legal fees in excess of $1 million per year (more than double what large towns like Middletown are paying), and has essentially looted our water authority by spending its surplus and loading it with $8 million in debt, then she does not represent the values of Republicans in Marlboro or anywhere.

The Marlboro Republican Party intends to field a competitive slate of council candidates this November who share Governor Christie’s fiscally conservative, reform agenda. We will spend the next 10 months pointing out in detail the destructive policies and decisions the Hornik administration has pursued ( and Carol Mazzola has agreed with). The choice will be stark and we believe Marlboro voters are ready to elect representatives who answer to the taxpayer, not political bosses, and who do what’s best for our town, not for themselves.”

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Mazzola Met With Bennett Before Switching Partys

Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting

Carol Mazzola, right, with Selika Josiah Gore and Kim Guadagno during their 2009 campaign. facebook photo

Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola met with Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett prior to announcing her to run for reelection as a Democrat this fall.  Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting which took place in Freehold.

Mazzola told MoreMonmouthMusings that she met with Bennett out of respect for the chairman for whom she has great admiration.  She said that Bennett attempted to pursuade her not to switch partys, but that her mind was already made upInflatable Slide.

The councilwoman, who is seeking her second term on the Marlboro Council, said she’s been struggling with the decision for many months.  “In the end, I know I made the right decision for myself and for the citizens of Marlboro,” she said, “win lose or draw, I know I did the right thing.”

Bennett has not returned MMM’s call for comment.

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