Cinnaminson Reaches $156K Settlement With Now Ex-Administrator

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson Township has reached a $156,000 settlement to end a lawsuit from its now former security director and township administrator, according to documents provided to Patch.

Cinnaminson reached a settlement with Michael “Mickey” King as of May 21. As part of the settlement, King has agreed to drop all claims against the township and relinquish his current roles. He has agreed not to bring any new claims against Cinnaminson, and to not seek employment with the township at any point in the future. He is also not eligible for any unpaid salary, sick leave, personal time or vacation time.

On Monday night, Chief Financial Officer Julie Edmondson was named Acting Administrator, according to the Burlington County Times.

In the suit, King claimed he was unlawfully suspended by the township after he brought to light “wrongdoing and potential criminal conduct by township officials.” The township called the lawsuit frivolous.

King became Public Safety Director in 2011, saying at the time he would “lead the department in training and leadership skills over the next year or two to cultivate a police chief, a position the township expressed an interest in returning to.”

Two years later, King took over as Township Administrator for Frank Locantore. At the time, he said he would fill the position until the end of the year, but he remained in that position until reaching this settlement with the township. He received a $10,000 raise last year.

In the suit, King said he filed five separate notices of protection under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), also known as the “Whistleblower Law” when he became aware that past and present candidates in the township wanted to “remove him from office because of his unwavering resolve to eliminate public corruption and mischief, as well as his commitment to protect employees from interference.”

He said the township violated CEPA by retaliating against him after he provided information in an investigation related to an investigation into alleged official misconduct by current Deputy Mayor Don Brauckmann.

Brauckmann was the subject of an internal investigation that began in March of last year into interactions he is alleged to have had with an employee in the Department of Public Works and an officer with the Cinnaminson Police Department concerning talks of restructuring the leadership of those two departments.

He was also accused of promising to vote to approve former Deputy Mayor William “Ben” Young to the position of Director of Public Works in exchange for getting his wife a job at Rowan College at Burlington County.

In his suit, King accused the majority of the current Committee Members of targeting him for speaking with the FBI, New Jersey State Police and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office during that investigation.

King claims that on March 15, he was escorted from the workplace by a police detail and was told he was being suspended immediately based on allegations that he “may be a hazard to persons if permitted to remain on the job and/or that an immediate suspension is necessary to maintain safety, health, order or effective direction of public services by Cinnaminson Township.” King says these allegations are false and based on statements he made that were taken out of context.

King then said that the township realized its accusations wouldn't hold up, and accused him of interfering in an investigation against him, an investigation that was initiated by an officer looking to take King's job, King said.

On April 9, King received a letter from the township, signed by Mayor Howard “Bud” Evans, informing him that Cinnaminson Township Committee would discuss his potential termination during its closed session at the April 16 meeting.

Following that closed session meeting, Township Committee elected to delay its vote on the matter, pending the outcome of the litigation. The litigation was settled on May 21, and the decision to replace King with Edmondson was finalized the same day.

Patch file photo