HOWELL – Two whistleblower lawsuits filed in Monmouth County Superior Court accuse Howell Township’s top officials of harassment, retaliation, and attempts to advance policies that plaintiffs say were unconstitutional.
The complaints, filed by former Township Manager Joseph Clark and Deputy Township Manager Matthew Howard, claim both men were forced out of their jobs after objecting to ordinances they believed unlawfully targeted immigrant and minority residents.
The town manager position is the top administrative officer of the town, overseeing daily operations.
Defendants named in the lawsuits include Mayor John Leggio, Councilman Ian Nadel, Township Clerk Diane Festino, and Councilwoman Susan Fischer. Attorneys R. Armen McOmber, Austin Tobin, and Christian Fechter of McOmber, McOmber & Luber, P.C. are representing both plaintiffs
Both lawsuits center on a series of proposals that, according to the plaintiffs, would have weaponized housing regulations.
Among the measures outlined in Clark’s amended complaint were ordinances requiring tenants to present proof of US citizenship or permanent residency within 60 days of a rental Certificate of Occupancy (CO) issuance. Other provisions called for revoking COs if any tenant was arrested, even for minor disorderly offenses, or if police or code enforcement responded multiple times to a property within a single year.
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