Taxpayers Will Not Pay to Defend Roth in Second Defamation Lawsuit

Deputy Mayor Ryan Green read a resolution into the new business portion of the Township Committee meeting on Wednesday night regarding the second defamation lawsuit filed against Committeewoman Michelle Roth. The resolution stipulated that the taxpayers would not bear the cost of the legal defense for Committeewoman Roth; the resolution passed 3-0 with Mayor Andrew Lucas and Committeewoman Roth abstaining from the vote and recusing themselves from any discussion.

The defamation lawsuit filed against Roth is brought by James Stuart of Colts Neck. Stuart is an appraiser and a member of the Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board (MCADB). Stuart claims that Roth harmed his professional reputation by saying allegedly libelous statements about him at previous Township Committee meetings, claiming that his work as an appraiser and his position on the MCADB is a conflict of interest.

The comments made by Roth allegedly defaming Stuart took place on May 11 and June 15 of this year. The resolution, written by Green, said that her comments had nothing to do with what was on the Township Committee agenda.

Stuarts position on the county Agricultural Board does not mean he cannot vote to approve farms into the preservation program, and he has done so in the past.

The topic of contention is in Manalapan that is up for farmland preservation funds. The farm application reached the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC) in September, but was .

Roth described the land deal as a “conflict of interest in the purest sense” and said she was thankful that the SADC ignored the mayor’s comments that this was just about politics.

Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz said, during his committee reports, that Roth sent three separate letters to the SADC about the mayor’s farmland application and her suspicion of foul play. The last letter, Maskowitz explained, was sent on official Township of Manalapan stationary just two days before the SADC reviewed the application.

The resolution regarding the defamation lawsuit also mentioned Roth’s first lawsuit which was filed by former Manalapan Township Chief of Police Stuart Brown. The lawsuit with Brown against Roth is still pending and the insurance company offered to Roth by the Township is providing her with a defense for the defamation suit, “but the taxpayers will be responsible for $10,000 of the defense costs representing the deductible payment on the policy”, the resolution read.

This second defamation lawsuit would again put the taxpayers in the position of paying for the deductible, and perhaps more, for the defense costs for Roth. The resolution said, “The Township Committee finds that it is neither fair nor appropriate for the taxpayers of Manalapan Township to bear the cost of legal defense as a result of a member of the Township Committee making negative, insulting, and allegedly defamatory remarks against a licensed professional appraiser, particularly when such comments are made solely to serve Mrs. Roth’s political and personal interests.”

The resolution went on to say that Garden state Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, the Township’s insurance company, would be informed that the Township would not impose the defense costs of the deductible ($10,000) onto the taxpayers and that the company should seek out Roth for reimbursement.