Ocean Township Employee Alleges Sexual Harassment and Property Tax Fraud

Mayor Christopher Siciliano downplays the allegations as greed and politics

In a law suit filed on April 22, Meredith Nelson, the Deputy Director of Finance of Ocean Township, alleged that her supervisor, Stephen Gallagher (no relation to the editor of this website), the Director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Township, habitually harassed her and other female employees of the Township.

Ms Nelson charges that the Township Manager, Michael Muscillo, took no action when she first brought the situation to his attention last August, six months into her employment, other than ordering her to take a “pre-employment drug test.  When she complained of the ongoing harassment again in January of this year, Gallagher retaliated by ceasing all communication with her, “intentionally ignoring her existence,” thereby preventing her from doing her job.  Three months latter, in March, Gallagher met with Nelson and and Muscillo to deliver a 12 page employment improvement plan which included instructions on which calculator to use, where her computer monitor and other business equipment was to be placed in her work area and instructions to seek certification as a Tax Collector…a position she explicitly declined in her pre-employment negotiations with the Township.

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What’s the difference between sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape?

Disgraced Freeholder John Curley was Censured and Reprimanded for sexual harassment.

By Sarah L. Cook, Professor & Associate Dean, Georgia State University, Lilia M. Cortina, Professor of Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Management & Organizations, University of Michigan, and Mary P. Koss, Regents’ Professor of Public Health, University of Arizona. The terms “sexual abuse,” “sexual assault,” “sexual harassment” – and even “rape” – crop up daily in the… Read the rest of this entry »

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Curley Harassment Probe Cost $24K

Freeholder John P. Curley

The investigation into disgraced Freeholder John P. Curley’s harassment of Monmouth County employees cost taxpayers $24,075.00, according to documents obtained by MMM via OPRA request.

Former Acting Associate Supreme Court Justice Mary Catherine Cuff commenced the investigation by reviewing the County’s Anti-Discrimination policy on June 15, 2017, according to her invoice dated November 14, 2017.   Judge Cuff conducted four interviews in July and three interviews in August.   She spent 7.25 hours reviewing tape of Board meetings during the month of August. Read the rest of this entry »

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Coward of the County: Curley Doesn’t Show Up For Censure Meeting

John P. Curley went to federal court to get his ban from the Hall of Records lifted. Then he didn’t show up to fight his censure.

Freeholder John P. Curley did not show up to fight his censure at the Special Meeting of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders on Friday afternoon in Judge Patricia D. Clearly’s courtroom in the Hall of Records. Read the rest of this entry »

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Curley’s Censure Scheduled For Friday, December 8

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Curley asks for money and continued health insurance in exchange for his resignation

Freeholder John Curley is asking for a five figure payment and the continuation of his County provided health insurance in exchange for his resignation from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, according to multiple sources familiar with the proceedings which occurred in federal court in Trenton on Monday.

The settlement, if approved by the freeholders, would potentially cost Monmouth County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars as the County self-insures.

Curley has reportedly been participating in the County’s health plan since his employment with his brother’s car dealership in Lakewood was severed last year. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth County Freeholders prevail in federal court. Will reschedule Curley’s Censure

UPDATED

Freeholder John Curley lost his bid in federal court today to prevent the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders from Censuring him and from updating the County’s sexual harassment and discrimination policy.

The Freeholders will reschedule the Special Meetings which were originally scheduled from this morning within the week.

Jonathan Testa, the attorney hired by the County to defend against Curley’s federal litigation, issued the following statement this afternoon: Read the rest of this entry »

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Will the Monmouth Dems Take Curley?

By Art Gallagher

Regardless of the outcome of Freeholder John Curley’s federal lawsuit to prevent the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders from Censuring him and to seal the investigative report into complaints of his harassment of County employees that he obviously believes will destroy his reputation, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Curley is nominated for reelection by the Monmouth GOP.

Curley’s term is up next year.  The Republican and Democrat Party nominees for the primary will be chosen by early April.

In his lawsuit, Curley alleges that the investigation and proposed censure is a “political hatchet job” by Freeholder Serena DiMaso.  The current mess does nothing for DiMaso politically.  Curley and DiMaso were successful running mates in 2012.  DiMaso is leaving the Board in January when she will be sworn into the State Assembly.  Nothing about this situation benefits DiMaso politically. Read the rest of this entry »

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Freeholders Postpone Curley’s Harassment Censure

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have postponed the censure of Freeholder John P. Curley for harassing multiple County employees pending the outcome of proceedings in U.S. District Court in Trenton before Judge Brian R. Martinotti.

Curley filed a federal lawsuit against his fellow freeholders, County Counsel Michael Fitzgerald and County Administrator on Friday in which he asked the Court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent his censure.  Judge Matinotti did not issue the TRO but summoned the parties to Trenton for a conference on Monday morning. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bill O’Reilly is officially out at Fox News

Fox News has officially cut ties with its biggest prime time star, Bill O’Reilly, following sexual harassment claims lodged against him. “After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the Company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel,” 21st Century Fox said in a statement.… Read the rest of this entry »

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