Mayor Jennifer Kuhn says Jackson Township cut ties with an entertainment company after learning a registered sex offender had been booked for a children’s Halloween event, while also accusing political opponents of waiting too long to alert officials.

JACKSON, N.J. — Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn says the township has removed a performer with a prior federal sex-offense conviction from its upcoming Safe Trick-or-Treat event, terminated its relationship with the entertainment company that supplied him and will review how outside vendors are screened before working around children.

Kuhn said the announcement at the council meeting was “disgusting,” and they should be “ashamed of themselves”, describing the public alert as “grandstanding” and “theatrics”

The controversy erupted during Tuesday night’s Township Council meeting after resident Eleanor Hannum raised concerns about a performer scheduled for the Oct. 30 event. Shore News Network previously reported that the performer was identified as Matthew Adam Brand, whose federal criminal case involved traveling from New Jersey to New York to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity and attempting to entice a minor.

“You didn’t get anything, you look disgusting,” Kuhn said about the teacher. “What is wrong with you? You should be ashamed.”

Kuhn posted the message on the official mayoral Facebook account. Hannum is already suing Kuhn and the township in federal court after she was forcibly removed from a council meeting after she questioned the mayor’s alleged relationship with a police officer under her.

During his luring of the child, Brand told the cop posing as a young girl that he wanted to take sexual pictures of her…with his puppets.

A federal appellate record in United States v. Brand confirms Brand was convicted of traveling across state lines for illegal sexual activity with a minor and attempting to entice a minor.

Kuhn said the performer was booked through DCA, an outside entertainment agency, according to Kuhn. Shore News Network reached out to DCA and is awaiting a response.

“Regardless of classification, there was no hesitation, no minimizing the issue and no excuse-making,” Kuhn wrote in a public statement Thursday. “The moment Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and members of the Township Council became aware of the information, action was taken.”

Township Says Performer Is Out and Vendor Relationship Is Over

Kuhn said the performer “will not appear at the event” and that Jackson immediately severed its relationship with the company that supplied him. According to township code, all individuals who engage with children on township property are supposed to have passed a required background check.

Kuhn did not state whether or not this was done in this case. Recreation director Fred Meabe was contacted for a reply, but did not reply.

According to Kuhn, township records now under review show that DCA has provided entertainment for Jackson events dating back to 2004 and spanning multiple administrations, in so, placed blame on the former mayor who resigned nearly one year ago.

She also said the performer had reportedly appeared at other township programs in prior years, including Senior Center events and previous Safe Trick-or-Treat celebrations; however, residents were not aware children were being exposed to a known child predator until school teacher Hannum did her own investigating.

“Prior to the Council meeting, neither Mayor Kuhn nor members of the Township Council or even Department Heads had been made aware of the performer’s criminal history,” Kuhn wrote.

She said the contractor, rather than the township, selected and assigned its performers.

“The entertainment company — not the Mayor, Council or Department — selected and assigned its employees to fulfill its contract with the Township,” she wrote, but the township code requires anyone who has contact with children to undergo a background check. That requirement applies to youth counselors, coaches from non-affiliated sports programs, vendors, and entertainers.

Jackson Will Review Background-Check Procedures

Kuhn said Jackson historically has not independently performed criminal background investigations on every employee working for every private contractor used by the township, even though the township code is clear on the matter.

Instead, private employers were expected to screen their own personnel, she said.

That policy is now under review.

“Historically, the Township has not conducted independent criminal background investigations on every employee of every private company it contracts with,” Kuhn wrote. “Private employers have been responsible for screening the employees they assign to Township work.”

She added that the process deserves another look when contractors will be interacting directly with children.

“That practice will now be reviewed, particularly when outside personnel may interact directly with children,” Kuhn said. “If additional safeguards are necessary, this administration will put them in place.”

Kuhn Says She ‘Inherited’ Longstanding Arrangement

Kuhn also used the statement to distance her administration from the township’s long relationship with the entertainment contractor.

“Mayor Kuhn did not create this arrangement,” the statement said. “She inherited it.”

Kuhn’s post went further, blaming what she characterized as longstanding practices from former Mayor Michael Reina’s nearly two decades in office.

Residents are also now calling for the resignation of retired police officer Fred Meabe, who they say should have caught the glaring problem, but did not. Meabe was hired by Kuhn as a recreation director shortly after he retired. He is also serving as the township’s public information officer. His salary has not been disclosed.

Meabe declined to comment when asked about the incident by Shore News Network.

“This is another example of Mayor Kuhn confronting longstanding practices and problems left behind after nearly two decades under former Mayor Michael Reina,” the statement said.

On social media, Kuhn faced backlash over her statement with residents saying it is once again a failure by her to take responsibility and her continued blaming of Reina for troubles in town hall one year after she took office.

Federal Case Involved Attempt to Meet 13-Year-Old

The underlying criminal history is not simply a social-media allegation.

Federal court records involving Matthew Adam Brand show he was prosecuted after traveling from New Jersey to Manhattan to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

The district court case stated Brand was charged with traveling interstate “for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with an individual he believed was 13-years-old” and using a computer, internet and telephone in an attempt to entice the same person into illegal sexual conduct. He said that he wanted the young girl to take indecent pictures with his puppets.

His conviction was later upheld by the Second Circuit.

Kuhn Turns Fire on Those Who Raised the Issue

Much of Kuhn’s statement focused not only on the booking itself, but on the timing of how township officials learned about it. She argued that anyone who believed children could be placed at risk should have contacted the administration immediately rather than waiting for the council meeting.

“If information concerning this performer was known before the Council meeting, Township officials should not have first learned about it from the floor of a public meeting,” Kuhn wrote. “There was apparently enough time to gather information, prepare flyers and distribute them at the meeting,” she added. “There was also enough time to pick up a phone, send an email or contact the Township directly.”

The event was still more than four weeks away, and no child was at risk prior to the announcement at town hall. Kuhn said public safety concerns should be handled separately from campaign politics.

“When the potential safety of children is involved, there should be no strategic timing,” she wrote.

“Information of this nature should never be held for the most politically advantageous moment. If someone genuinely believes children could be at risk, the first responsibility is to immediately notify the people who have the authority to act — not wait to create a political moment.”

Mayor Blamed Entire Incident on Election-Year Politics

In a separate post, Kuhn directly addressed a person she described as a teacher without naming, assumed to be Hannum, and campaign manager for an opposing ticket, assumed to be the “Fight for Jackson” team that include Elliott Shemtov for Mayor, Chris Pollak and Amanda Trombetta for township council.

“If you saw something that you believed could potentially endanger the welfare of children — especially as a teacher yourself — you should have spoken up immediately,” Kuhn wrote.

“You don’t wait until it becomes politically convenient.”

She continued: “I understand it’s an election year, and I understand you’re the campaign manager for the opposing ticket. But there’s a time for politics, and there’s a time for simply doing what’s right.”

Council Had Already Promised Review

At Tuesday’s meeting, Council President Mordechai Burnstein said township officials would review how the booking happened and what went wrong.

The township now says that review will include its broader relationship with outside contractors and whether additional screening requirements should apply when vendors place employees around children.

Kuhn said the administration also plans to announce a replacement entertainment lineup for the Oct. 30 event once it is finalized.

“The administration will now review how this happened, strengthen safeguards for outside contractors and vendors where necessary, and take steps to prevent it from happening again,” Kuhn wrote.

Her closing message was directed at residents who become aware of future safety concerns.

“Do not wait for a Council meeting,” Kuhn wrote. “Do not wait to make a flyer. Do not wait for the most politically convenient moment.”

“Pick up the phone. Send the email. Give us the information so we can act.”