Mayor sued for defamation
Posted by the Ocean County Observer on 04/5/07
BY DON BENNETT
STAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER — Former Jackson Township Business Administrator Andrew Salerno is suing the man who replaced him, Jackson's new mayor, and the township for defamation, claiming they sullied his name and reputation and caused him economic, emotional, and physical harm for which he wants to be compensated.
Salerno, of Seaville, was hired Oct. 4, 2004, when Democrats controlled the local government in Jackson, and fired June 30, 2006, when Republicans took control under a new form of government.
Mark Seda was elected mayor and William Santos was hired as business administrator to replace Salerno.
Salerno said a series of statements by Seda and Santos were published in the Ocean County Observer and the Asbury Park Press accusing Salerno of "gross incompetence," misappropriation of funds, and implying he engaged in criminal conduct in connection with the Jackson Township budget.
Those claims were repeated from Aug. 3 through Oct. 29, according to Salerno's lawsuit.
They were laced by claims that U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie or Prosecutor Thomas F. Kelaher, or both, would be contacted to probe Salerno's role in the budget process.
Salerno said he applied for a new job starting Aug. 3 and was not able to land one until January because of the claims of Jackson officials.
In addition to slander, he claims the officials interfered with his business or economic advantage, and intentionally or negligently inflicted emotional harm on him.
Those acts were the result of a civil conspiracy, he claims in the suit filed by Steven S. Glickman of Springfield.
Township Attorney George Gilmore said he had not seen the suit and could not comment about its details.
He said any comments officials made at public meetings were not actionable in court.
"It sounds like a political lawsuit to me," he said. |
