Toms River, NJ – Linda Valeri spent nearly two decades as a public servant in Toms River, serving primarily as the personal assistant to Mayors Thomas Kelaher and Maurice Hill. In Mayor Maurice Hill’s purge of non-political allies and hiring of political cronies during the 2020 pandemic, Valeri was removed from her position in Hill’s office and reassigned to the Toms River Township Senior Center after 14 years of serving in the mayor’s office with distinction.
Valeri is now suing the township over alleged discrimination and misappropriation of township funds. She also claims a township HR employee, under the direction of the township business administrator, tried to bribe her with a job in exchange for dropping an internal harassment claim. She says her boss often referred to her as the leader of the “P-ssy Posse”.
After transferring out of the Mayor’s office, township Business Administrator Lou Amoruso allegedly cut her pay, according to a lawsuit filed by Valeri. Facing hostile workplace conditions under Hill and Amoruso, Valeri applied to take time off from work under the New Jersey Family Leave Act.
In January of 2021, Valeri began claiming that her new boss JoAnn Benson, another Hill politico, and Amoruso began treating her in a hostile manner that was often degrading and harassing.
During the remote working period, Valeri said Benson would often be harassed by Valeri, and despite multiple formal complaints to Administrator Amoruso, no actions were ever taken by the township to remedy the situation.
After being approved for leave under the NJ FMLA, Valeri claims Amoruso and Benson disclosed confidential employment information to other workers in town hall in an attempt to belittle and demean her before her co-workers.
Benson referred to Valeri as a member of the “P-ssy Posse”, according to the lawsuit filed against the township in April. Later, Benson called her the “Head of the P-ssy Posse”.
In another instance of harassment, Benson claimed to former township employee Joanne Flanagan, who is under state investigation for illegally receiving township health benefits, that she saved Flanagan’s boyfriend, Ocean County GOP Chairman Frank Holman, from “getting her claws” into him.
Benson, according to the lawsuit, often commented on Valeri’s manner of dress. Valeri is now claiming age discrimination and sexual harassment by township officials in her lawsuit.
Valeri also accused Benson of not depositing money from donation boxes at the senior center.
“JoAnn Benson has used funds from these cash donations without prior authorization to avoid the purchase order process,” the lawsuit claims.
She also claims that Mayor Hill used the Toms River Senior Center and township employees to host a visit by former GOP candidate for Governor Jack Ciattarelli and ordered employees to make sure political figures were in attendance. She says the cash donations from the senior center charity box were used to pay for the Ciattarelli event.
When she made a formal complaint, she was contacted by Human Resources Manager ara Lewczak who under the direction of Amoruso, offered her a job in return for dropping the complaint against Benson.
When asked to speak to Amoruso about the offer, the business administrator reportedly told her, “Forget it!” Amoruso also reportedly said to Valeri, “I prefer to hire men.”
This is the second discrimination case based on sexual gender and orientation lodged against Hill, Amoruso and the township.
Last year, former Business Administrator Don Guardian filed a lawsuit. Guardian, an openly gay man said Amoruso and other township officials called him anti-gay slurs such as “pillow biter” during his tenure.
Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill’s new secretary, Art Gallagher refused to comment on the matter, citing ongoing litigation.