BRIDGEWATER FILES APPEAL TO SAFEGUARD THE DIGITAL PRIVACY OF RESIDENTS

Bridgewater, NJ – Bridgewater Township Mayor Matthew Moench, in consultation with the Township Council, directed the Township Attorney’s Office to file an appeal in the ongoing dispute with “Rise Against Hate.” An initial court ruling had sided with the organization in their effort to obtain access to Bridgewater residents’ email addresses under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The Township will now seek to join an ongoing appeal previously initiated by the Township of Cherry Hill.

“This is the next step in our fight to protect our residents’ privacy against the bullying tactics of Rise Against Hate,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “It’s sad that a group that identifies as civil rights warriors continues to show such unremitting disdain for the privacy rights of our residents.”

Rise Against Hate recently submitted an additional voluminous OPRA request which included a demand to see any of Mayor Moench’s emails that mention “Rise Against Hate.” The Township will provide these documents to the extent provided by law.

“The only thing that Rise Against Hate is going to learn from my Township e-mail account is that the residents of Bridgewater think that their civil rights ‘activism’ is as hypocritical and self-indulgent as I do,” said Mayor Moench in response to this request.

Council President Allen Kurdyla also expressed his support for staying vigilant in the fight to protect the privacy of Bridgewater’s residents, but notes that the defense comes at a price.
“Protecting the rights of Bridgewater residents is paramount, that’s what we’re elected to do,” said Council President Kurdyla. “However, it is particularly frustrating that vital Municipal Government and Police time, energy, and resources continue to be spent on the excessive and onerous demands of a Washington D.C. group that has nothing to do with Bridgewater. Their broad OPRA requests abuse this critical tool for transparency. If Rise Against Hate were truly concerned with the well-being of our residents, they’d let our Bridgewater employees get back to work.”