Today! At 1:30 pm in Newark, the first hearing in Padmaja Rao's whistleblower lawsuit
I think this time it's finally happening. As of midnight, the hearing was still scheduled for today.
You are cordially invited. Come to Judge Petrillo’s courtroom to learn more about malfeasance in Montclair’s municipal government. You may not be allowed in, but come anyway.
What: First hearing on Padmaja Rao’s whistleblower lawsuit against Montclair and Stafford.
When: As of this morning, the hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 26, at 1:30 pm
Where: Judge Petrillo’s courtroom, Essex County Historic Courthouse, 470 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Room 202 (if you go, call 973-776-9460 to confirm the courtroom’s location).
Montclair’s attorneys filed a letter on Monday, requesting the judge seal the proceedings to ensure you and I don’t hear the embarrassing but public information that will be discussed in the hearing. On Tuesday, Nancy Erika Smith, Rao’s attorney, filed a letter opposing the request. She wrote, “We do not have secret hearings about discrimination and public corruption in the United States.” Read more about it in Julia Martin’s story for North Jersey.
Don’t know what this is about? Read Craig Wolff’s coverage of Rao’s lawsuit on the Montclair Local.
A full newsletter will follow soon. I have been busy demanding PILOTs for Montclair Public Schools. Please join me:
Montclair Elected Officials
Township Council
Bob Russo rrusso@montclairnjusa.org
Peter Yacobellis pyacobellis@montclairnjusa.org
William L Hurlock (1st ward) whurlock@montclairnjusa.org
Robin Schlager (2nd ward) rschlager@montclairnjusa.org
Lori Price Adams (3rd ward) lpriceabrams@montclairnjusa.org
David Cummings (4th ward) dcummings@montclairnjusa.org
Sean M. Spiller sspiller@montclairnjusa.org
Board of Education
Allison Silverstein asilverstein@montclair.k12.nj.us
Crystal Hopkins chopkins@montclair.k12.nj.us
Yvonne Bouknight ybouknight@montclair.k12.nj.us
Melanie Deysher mdeysher@montclair.k12.nj.us
Phaedra Dunn pdunn@montclair.k12.nj.us
Brian Fleischer bfleischer@montclair.k12.nj.us
Monk Inyang minyang@montclair.k12.nj.us
Eric Sherzer escherzer@montclair.k12.nj.us
Kathryn Weller-Demming kwellerdemming@montclair.k12.nj.us
State Legislators (I hear it’s better to call than to write)
Senator Nia H. Gill (973) 509-0388
Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (973) 779-3125
Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake (973) 395-1166
Probably not! I think Montclair's attorneys are a few neurons short of a brain.
I'm curious if anyone would have realized it were happening (Friday before a holiday weekend) if the seal request hadn't been made. Seems like an own-goal.