'Defamation, Libel, Slander' Claimed In Lawsuit Filed By Bernards School Board Member

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Board of Education member Kirsten Light has filed a lawsuit against losing candidate Erica Blackman and township resident Stacy Lettie claiming they "embarked on a malicious and unprovoked smear campaign" during the recent 2022 school board election in November.

The lawsuit filed in Somerset County Superior Court claims Blackman and Lettie falsely accused Light "of being anti-Semitic, antiLGBTQ+, in support of an 'opt-out' option for teachings concerning the Holocaust and other genocides, and otherwise waged an all-out and unjustified assault on [Light's] character, reputation, and proficiency with respect to her service on the Bernards Township Board of Education."

Light is currently serving on the Bernard BOE with her term ending Dec. 31, 2024. Blackman recently ran for one of the three seats on the Bernards Board of Education but came in fourth with 4,846 votes.

The lengthy lawsuit specifically focuses on the controversial newly mandated state health curriculum in Light was opposed to and Blackman was in favor of.

Light claims in her lawsuit that she was "harassed" after making comments at the Sept. 19 and Oct. 17 board meetings about the "opt-out" option of the new health curriculum and questioning the social studies curriculum.

Blackman is accused of writing a Letter to the Editor that was published in TAPinto.net on Oct. 21 accusing Light of "supporting an 'opt-out' option from the District’s social studies curriculum" and "Blackman further characterized Ms. Light as, among other things, anti-Semitic and claimed she failed to “do[] her research” concerning curriculum mandates relating to the Holocaust."

The lawsuit alleges that the letter was shared by Lettie on social media.

The letter was later removed from the news website on Oct. 22, according to the lawsuit.

Light claims she continued to receive backlash at following meetings.

"During the public comment portion of the Nov. 14 meeting, several members of the community made public statements, addressing Light by name, and continuing to accuse her of being anti-Semitic, mistrusting of teachers, and supporting an 'opt-out' option from the social studies curriculum. Those members also continued to demand ethics investigations and/or removal," according to the lawsuit.

The suit further claims "harassment, bullying, and intimidation continued" at the Nov. 28 Board meeting where "Blackman’s running mate, Singh, expressed concerns about Light’s position on the Board."

As a result of these claims, the lawsuit alleges Blackman's and Lettie's "malicious and misleading statements have resulted in irreversible damage to [Light's] reputations in the community, frustrated her abilities to serve on the Board, and otherwise subjected her to humiliation, embarrassment, and scorn in the town she calls home."

Light did not respond to a request for comment. Blackman referred Patch to her attorney.

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