Mehrotra and Montes Release Statement in Response to Today’s Ruling

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ—The Mehrotra and Montes for Council campaign today released a statement in response to Superior Court Judge Camille M. Kenny’s hearing on the lawsuit brought against Mountainside by five police officers and an employee of the Mountainside Police Department. The lawsuit alleges that unchecked sexual harassment, racism, and favoritism persisted in the police department for years.

“Our leaders should never have put Mountainside in this situation to begin with,” said the candidates. “According to the allegations in this lawsuit, Council knew for more than a decade that certain officers in the  Mountainside Police Department were engaging in unacceptable and inexcusable behavior, and even leaving duty to work side jobs but looked the other way to protect their friends on the force and in the administration. Instead of punishing the officers involved, Council even rewarded them with promotions ahead of more qualified officers. This included Councilman Messler, who as a member of the Police Committee and responsible for Council’s oversight of the force, failed to take action and protect Mountainside residents and taxpayers.

“Council’s decision to sweep these problems under the rug instead of addressing the issues head-on has already hurt Mountainside. In addition to damaging our town’s reputation, Council’s failure has already cost taxpayers more than $400,000 in legal fees, settlements, and paid administrative leave for the accused officers. Mountainside families should not be on the hook for these costs. We need new leaders who will make sure we never end up in this situation again.

“We are running for Council to bring integrity, transparency, and accountability back to Borough Hall. We have a plan to revamp Mountainside’s Ethics Review Board to eliminate favoritism and nepotism and ensure that there is a check on Council. We will also improve communication among departments and with residents so we can identify and address problems before they get out of hand. Most important, we will stand up for the values Mountainside families believe in: honesty, fairness, and responsibility.

“Council should never have gotten us into this situation, but now it is up to all of us to stand up for Mountainside and vote for new leaders on November 6th.”

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