As previously reported here on FAA News, back in May 2024, a complaint was lodged in New Jersey Superior Court revealing allegations that an employee at the Manchester Township Board of Education was fired from his job on the basis of his sexual orientation.
The legal filings highlights that those who voiced anti-gay animosity also freely voiced anti-semitic animosity.
Once again, the school district has been slammed with a lawsuit revealing explosive allegations of anti-gay and anti-semitic animosity being voiced freely by district representatives as well as retaliatory discrimination against those who dared to object to the animosity.
The lawsuit was filed by Linwood Attorney Robert P. Merenich, Esq. on behalf of Bridget Antonucci.
According to the complaint, district staff, including MBOE member Gayle Mount and Diane Pedroza, the District’s Interim Superintendent freely voiced bigoted intolerance, harassment and maltreatment of members of the LGBTQIA2S+, Orthodox Jewish, Hispanic, and Multi-lingual learners communities, and retaliated against her after she objected to their animosity.
Examples of the anti-semitic animosity include:
Antonucci authored, and the District was awarded in August of 2022, the highest grant amount in the state for Preschool expansion: $3.2 million dollars. MBOE member, Gayle Mount, openly voted against preschool expansion. While Antonucci was still working on the preschool expansion grant, Gayle Mount, stated to her at the Atlantic City Airport, having by happenstance run into each other: “I had to pay for my kids’ preschool. Those dirtbags (members of the orthodox Jewish community and Hispanic Community) could pay too.”
On February 2, 2024, Mrs. Pedroza attended a CST wherein she made antisemitic remarks about the Orthodox community: the meeting was recorded.
Antonucci emailed Mrs. Pedroza on March 7, 2024 concerning this February 2, 2024 meeting:
...
During that meeting you made comments that left me feeling very uncomfortable that I would be remiss in not addressing, as it has caused me stress and I regret not addressing it during that time, but was fearful of additional retaliation, as evident in each time I have reported something to you; i.e your request to give MLL [Multi Language Learners] students a 504 and place them in a special education class and Mrs. Wingler's threat.
That being said, I feel strongly about the philosophy we teach our students: See something, Hear something, then Say something.
At this meeting, and on the audio record, you spoke about the "orthodox" and "Hasidic" community. You explained that "they" are moving their renters (the ESL students) into their rental units and then alluded to double dipping with ESL services and collecting aid in lieu, "something you and Michelle Boyle are working on." Comments like, "The problem is you are seeing them slowly come over..." are offensive.
Unfortunately, this was not the only time you have made comments like this. This has happened on several occasions.
The School District has 35 days to answer the complaint.
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