Censure Reveals Details Of Freeholder's Purported Sexual Remarks

FREEHOLD, NJ — The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders censured Freeholder John P. Curley Friday night and in doing so made public some of the sexual remarks he is accused of making to county employees, a move his attorney said is a violation of a federal court order.

Curley was not present for the freeholders' meeting, held in the courtroom at the Hall of Records to accommodate nearly 50 people who attended the special meeting that addressed the censure and the freeholders' move to revise and update the county's sexual harassment policies for employees.

Many of those in attendance wore stickers saying "I Stand With John," expressing their support for the Republican, who is in his third term on the board. When Freeholder Director Lillian Burry called for the vote on the censure resolution, Curley's supporters stood to demonstrate their opposition.

"This is a kangaroo court," Angelo Genova, Curley's attorney, said after the meeting. He said Curley did not attend the meeting "because he refuses to take part in this charade."

The meeting, which finally began at 4:45 p.m., 45 minutes after its scheduled start time, included a statement from Burry where she said in part that the censure decision wasn't made lightly.

"This is not about one complaint, one action," Burry said after the censure resolution was read into the record by Michael Fitzgerald, the Monmouth County freeholder board attorney, but about a pattern of behavior that emerged as a result of the investigation. "This is not an easy time for anyone."

"This reflects on behavior I have witnessed over the last several years," Freeholder Gary Rich said, and called on Curley to resign.

"It is my hope that all will understand this is a pattern of behavior that makes many uncomfortable," Freeholder Thomas Arnone said. "Today is about doing the right thing."

"This is about ensuring a positive work enviroment for all employees," Freeholder Serena DiMaso said.

The censure resolution accuses Curley of screaming at county employees, "causing them to flee their offices," criticizing county employees in front of other county employees, and making a number of sexual remarks to officials and employees. For the most part, the sexual remarks were not specified, but the resolution said they included statements to women such as "Oh, that's you I wanted to bend over a table," and "I'll show you a snake show, sit on my lap and I'll give you a show."

"If proven to be true, such statements are represensible and should never be made by anyone, let alone a county freeholder," the resolution said.

Genova, who distributed a statement from Curley to members of the media, called the censure resolution a violation of the agreement between Curley and the board that was reached before a federal judge on Monday.

"You violated a federal court order," Genova told the board. "That's the place that the report you've disclosed to the public will get litigated."

"They lifted parts of it (the censure resolution) directly from the report," Genova said, referring to a report by an independent investigator that was set to be released until Curley filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against his fellow freeholders, and Fitzgerald and County Administrator Teri O'Connor and sought an injunction to block the public release of the report, which resulted from a five-month investigation into complaints about Curley's behavior.

Curley's written statement did not address any of the claims in the censure resolution, but instead focused on his work as a freeholder, which he said is focused on rooting out corruption and providing support the hungry and homeless, those with mental illness and those fighting addiction, along with the county's military veteran population.

The statement also took aim at his fellow county Republicans, including Republican chair Shawn Golden, for "their lack of concern" over what Curley has said is a politically motivated action. The lack of concern "is despicable and a slap in the face to all of our residents."

"Their jealousy will not hinder me in my efforts to help all," Curley's statement said. "It is sad to say that Club Monmouth continues to exist at the expense of the people. The events of today will not ever deter me from my work."

Genova also accused the board of ethics violations, saying later they should not have been voting on the censure because they all are parties to the lawsuit, and Genova seemed to imply that some — DiMaso in particular — had a direct interest in the censure. He told reporters to go ask county officials whether DiMaso was one of the complainants in the investigation, an accusation that the board publicly denied during the meeting.

Several of the residents took the board to task at the meeting, criticizing the censure, which amounts to expressing public disapproval of Curley. It does not prevent him from serving as freeholder, nor does it have any direct financial component such as a fine.

"What you said, to me, didn't sound worthy of censure," said James Martin of Spring Lake Heights. "John Curley may be a little bit brusque but sometimes brusque is appropriate."

"He was elected to serve us and has served us well," said William Mayer of Tinton Falls, who likened the reported remarks to hiring a top-notch plumber despite the plumber using foul language. "If he's getting the job done, you overlook some of that."

Others went after the freeholders.

Maureen Holahan Saling, an attorney from Rumson, blistered DiMaso for "helping yourself to health benefits for the last four years," and accused Burry of having a personal interest in the farmland preservation deal that played a role in the conviction of former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas on charges of tax evasion.

Lucas was serving as Manalapan mayor in 2010 when he applied for farmland preservation funds for his Diamond Developers at Burke Farm, a 97-acre plot that he purchased with funds he fraudulently obtained, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press at the time of his sentencing in 2015. He is serving a five-year prison sentence in the case.

Lucas, who was convicted of lying about his income and defrauding an investment client to come up with the money to buy Burke Farm, received $1.2 million from the state, Monmouth County and Manalapan to preserve it as farmland, keeping the property but giving up the right to develop it, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Holahan Saling said Burry held a fundraiser at Burke Farm at some point prior to the county's approval of farmland preservation fund approval. Burry did not respond to the accusation.

Holahan Saling also objected as the censure resolution was being read, and later said, "This language will place you in contempt of a federal court order."

"Do not waste taxpayers' money this way," she said. "Censure yourselves for an illegal process and violating his constitutional rights."

"Until now the public has allowed you to stab each other in backs as much as you wanted," Holahan Saling said. "We're going to be watching you more closely."

Some of the objectors to the censure focused on Monmouth County's sale of its two nursing homes, the former Geraldine L. Thompson and John L. Montgomery homes, to private entities in late 2015. The sales, according to an NJ.com report, came on the heels of the county losing millions of dollars. The decision to sell them is one Curley touted as one of his successes.

"The sale of the nursing homes gets him a gold star," Martin, of Spring Lake Heights, said.

"I've known John my entire life," said Walton Kingsbery of Red Bank, where Curley previously served as a councilman. "He's a good person. He's kind. He's sincere. He's an effective advocate for his constituency."

"He deserves respect despite his personality or vocabulary," Kingsbery said.

"The language of democracy has never been pretty," said Ellen Fitzpatrick of Tinton Falls, referring to stories of fights and arguments during the earliest days of the founding of the United States. She said the investigation "amounts to a Medieval inquistion." She also warned the board: "to mudsling is opening a door of retribution back to you."

Not everyone spoke in support of Curley, however.

"Are we in Alabama?" asked Mike Beson of Ocean Township, referring to the controvery over Senate candidate Roy Moore, who is running in a special election and facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior with teenagers when he was in his 30s.

"We have employees complaining about this and you're going to criticize them for feeling uncomfortable," Beson said, directing his criticism at Curley's defenders. "I'm embarrased. These people (the county employees) work on the front lines to serve us."

"Wake up to the new world we live in where we respect people," said Beson, who was among roughly a dozen people who supported the censure resolution.

"He singled me out and cursed at me in public when he didn't like what I said," said Rhoda Chodish of Manalapan. "I'm a member of the public. This censure is about the respect an elected official should show."

"I thought we would be talking about issues of behavior and language," said Ernest Mignoli of Asbury Park. "I'm not too pleased or comfortable with what I'm hearing, what's borderline veiled threats. This board has facts and complaints about things we've all witnessed."

"How do you think we feel? Mignoli said. "Why would we as citizens dare to corroborate these things?"

Pamela Murphy of Freehold, who had worked for the county at one of the nursing homes, said the nursing home sale is not the issue.

"We are past that," Murphy said. "He's a bully. He may have done some good things, but that does not make him a good person."

"I wish he was here today so he could see me, so he could know exactly how it feels," Murphy said. "You all have to take care of every single county employee."

Monmouth County Freeholders Serena DiMaso, Thomas Arnone, Lillian Burry and Gary Rich. Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff