NJ City Ordered to Pay Millions to Victims of Anti-Gay Harassment

by Kilian Melloy The EDGE, Boston

A jury has awarded a gay couple nearly $3 million in damages as part of a lawsuit against the city of Seacaucus, NJ.

The couple, Peter DeVries and Timothy Carter, were awarded $2.84 million by the jury after the judge presiding over the case, which was heard in a state Superior Court, ruled against the city.

The plaintiff’s lawyer said that the city must also pay $2 million in legal costs, bringing the total to nearly $5 million.

Garden State Equality’s chairman, Steven Goldstein, said of the verdict and the award, "The considerable amount will send the appropriate signal to other government agencies and workers across the state that they dare not harass people because of their sexual orientation."

full article

Planning Board member won't resign

This is a 2nd followup. In the previous followup Edward Thomas had resigned.

Of course this all stems from the original story where;

Planning board vice chair Edward Thomas told the attorney: “Before you
start, I would like to remind you that is an application for a child’s desert
shop, and your commentary, if you could please refrain from making any
statements extending from your own possibly inappropriate sexual ‘preferences’
in this matter.”

The attorney said, “I don’t know what inappropriate sexual ‘preferences’
are.”

Edward Thomas said, “Keep your pedophilia to yourself, and talk to the
facts.”

Carol Gorga Williams of The Asbury Park Press reports:

Vice Chairman Edward Thomas, who before the April 22 City Council meeting told Mayor Adam Schneider that he would “retire'' in the wake of the furor over comments he made March 18, said he believes he has widespread support in the town where his family has lived for generations. He said he will no longer consider leaving the board he has served for more than 20 years.

Schneider wants him to step down. But it is unclear whether there is enough support on the council to force a hearing to determine whether officials have “cause'' to remove Thomas, whose term expires at the end of 2009.

Read her full article here

Followup: Embattled city board member quits over remarks

By Carol • Gorga Williams
Coastal Monmouth Bureau
Asbury Park Press

backstory

LONG BRANCH — Planning Board Vice Chairman Edward Thomas, under fire because of comments he made at a March 18 meeting that critics said linked homosexuality to pedophilia, will leave the board on which he has served more than two decades.

Thomas said he is devastated to find his reputation in tatters, adding that it has very nearly driven him to suicide in the last few weeks. He said he will walk away from the Planning Board because it is in the best interests of the city.

Mayor Adam Schneider said at Tuesday night's City Council meeting that Thomas will resign — although Thomas, 45, had said earlier he considers the action a "retirement." Either way, his leaving had been sought by Garden State Equality, a statewide group that lobbies for civil rights for members of the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual communities.

"I take no particular pleasure in any of this," said Schneider, noting that Thomas has worked hard for the city for many years. "He did make a serious mistake five weeks ago. . . . It was clearly inappropriate, for which no excuses can be made. I'm sorry it came to this. I think Mr. Thomas recognizes it is not a pleasant way to end a career of public service."

full article

NJ Public Official Equated Being LGBT with Pedophilia

UPDATE: Thomas resigns

At the last Planning Board meeting in Long Branch, there was an exchange between Planning Board vice chair Edward Thomas and an attorney present to oppose a new building for a very popular, heavily trafficked ice cream shop in a more residential part of the city. Here’s what happened, verbatim, as we just heard on the audiotape of the meeting:

Planning board vice chair Edward Thomas told the attorney: “Before you start, I would like to remind you that is an application for a child’s desert shop, and your commentary, if you could please refrain from making any statements extending from your own possibly inappropriate sexual ‘preferences’ in this matter.”

The attorney said, “I don’t know what inappropriate sexual ‘preferences’ are.”

Edward Thomas said, “Keep your pedophilia to yourself, and talk to the facts.”

The crowd gasped in horror.

We haven’t a clue as to whether the attorney is LGBT or not. Regardless, Edward Thomas’ comments were an outrageous homophobic slander on all LGBT people in our state.

Garden State Equality has a zero-tolerance policy for homophobia and transphobia in New Jersey. Please join us Tuesday night to tell Edward Thomas he has to resign.

Help GSE by joining their protest this Tuesday night, April 15, 2008 at 7:00 pm, Long Branch City Hall, 344 Broadway, 2nd floor. For more info, you can email GSE Chair, Steven Goldstein at goldstein@gardenstateequality.com. I’m emailing Steve to see how those of us who cannot make it to the protest can help.