JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn claims she is just holding employees in town hall accountable and providing transparencies, but lawsuits, employee complaints, and a $2,000,000 settlement with the former police chief tell a much different story.
Those lawsuits and the recent high turnover in key positions tell a story of a mayor who is out of control, hard to work with, and unreasonably difficult, and often times, demeaning to township workers she does not like personally.
Musical chairs, firings, and resignations
Political unrest in Jackson Township has reached a breaking point as a wave of lawsuits, resignations, and internal conflict grips the local government under the leadership of Mayor Jennifer Kuhn.
Jackson has always had its share of legal and political controversy, but since October, it has risen to levels never seen before.
The township has had three business administrators in the past year. In May of 2025, Kuhn and Council President Mordechai Burnstein forced out Business Administrator Terrance Wall. At the end of the year, Business Administrator Lavon Phillips, who was hired in June, was also terminated after he allegedly released an email with copies of complaints against Kuhn publicly.
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Kuhn replaced Phillips with Charles W. Terefenko in January.
The lawsuits keep piling up against Kuhn and Jackson
At least four separate lawsuits have been filed or settled in recent months, with sources confirming that more will follow.
The most costly case to date involves former Police Chief Matthew Kunz, who secured a $2 million settlement from the township after filing a workplace harassment and retaliation claim against Mayor Kuhn and the township council.
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That settlement included $247,000 in back pay, as well as additional compensation for damages and legal expenses. Despite Council President Mordy Burnstein’s public statements promising transparency, the details of the Kunz settlement remain withheld from residents, missing the February 1 release date.
The turmoil does not stop there. Two additional lawsuits have emerged from residents, each painting a picture of a government consumed by infighting and accusations of misconduct.
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One case, filed by resident and local government watchdog Elenor Hannum, alleges that her civil rights were violated after she was removed from a township meeting while questioning Mayor Kuhn’s personal and financial connections to local developer Chaim Brownstein and with her personal relationship with a Jackson police officer. Brownstein, according to public records is owner of MWNJ Properties, which has several high profile projects planned in town.
Kuhn is the broker of record of EXP Realty in Jackson and specializes in flipping short sales and foreclosures.
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Residents have alleged at town hall meetings that Mayor Kuhn maintains a close business relationship with Brownstein, but this has not been confirmed independently.
Kuhn declared Hannum “out of order” and asked police officers to remove her from the public meeting.
The federal lawsuit, now before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, accuses Kuhn of silencing dissent and retaliating against residents who challenge her administration.
An attempt by Jackson Township to quash the lawsuit was rejected last week by a federal judge.
Another resident, Chris Podolosky, is suing the township to halt construction of a large house of worship planned for a tract of environmentally sensitive wetlands. Podolosky argues the township violated its own zoning and environmental ordinances in approving the project.
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Separately, a former township employee, Marianne Horta, has filed her own harassment lawsuit, alleging that Kuhn fostered a “toxic” work environment that led to her emotional distress and forced resignation.
Horta alleged Kuhn called her son Anthony, also a former township employee, a ‘retard’. The lawsuit alleged Kuhn fired Mrs. Horta for following the law on township matters. Shore News Network has independently confirmed that Kuhn called Mr. Horta a ‘retard’ and on several occasions mocked his disability and was angry over his comments at town hall after she made him face the public at town hall meetings. Kuhn made it clear that she wanted to fire both Hortas on several occasions, citing his disability in not-so-pleasant ways.
Amid the escalating tension, the township confirmed that an outside law firm has been hired to investigate the growing number of complaints against the administration. “A third party has been retained to review the allegations,” Kuhn said after former adminstrator Phillips released the six complaints to the public, insisting that she has done nothing wrong and that “accountability and professionalism” remain her top priorities.
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But documents and interviews with current and former township employees tell a different story. Multiple staff members within Jackson’s Code Enforcement Department have filed formal complaints alleging Kuhn engaged in intimidation, public humiliation, and improper monitoring of township vehicles with GPS tracking devices.
Kuhn’s battle against Code Enforcement
Kuhn publicly claimed she was being harassed by code enforcement after a violation was issued at one of her business properties. She claimed it was political retaliation, but that same property was cited several years before Kuhn entered politics and the violation was for non-compliance withe a previous complaint, according to township records. Kuhn had that matter transfered to Lakewood court where the complaint was later dismissed.
In another public tirade at town hall, Kuhn alleged that an employee was seen washing his township vehicle, naming the employee, but it later turned out to be another employee who was legitimately washing the township vehicle.
The department’s supervisor, Andrew Cheney, along with several colleagues, has accused the mayor of routinely targeting their work, releasing private emails to the media, and creating a climate of fear within Town Hall. In one complaint, Cheney and four other officers called for Kuhn’s removal, stating that her “pattern of harassment” made it nearly impossible to perform their duties.
More workplace harassment lawsuits coming
The accusations extend beyond workplace hostility. One source close to the matter confirmed that two additional lawsuits are being prepared — one by Cheney himself and another by code enforcement officer Billy Campbell — both alleging retaliation and defamation.
Residents have also raised concerns about nepotism and potential conflicts of interest in the appointment of individuals connected to township boards including the appoinment of the wives of Planning Board member Shimsi Heller and Councilman Ken Bressi’s wives to the Jackson Township MUA.
The controversy surrounding Mayor Kuhn began shortly after she was appointed by the township council to replace longtime Mayor Michael Reina, who resigned after nearly 18 years in office. Reina was forced out of office by Kuhn and Burnstein.
Reina’s departure left a power vacuum in Jackson’s leadership, and Kuhn’s elevation to mayor — without a public election — was met with skepticism residents. Kuhn is now expected to face voters as mayor for the first time in November. With her approval rating in the tank, it is unlikely that she can pull out a victory in November against the opposition, led by Councilman Christopher Pollak and mayoral candidate Eli Shem-Tov.
Her administration’s handling of township meetings has only fueled criticism. The confrontation with resident Elenor Hannum in April, now the subject of federal litigation, remains one of the most publicized examples beyond the chief of police and the Hortas.
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Internal investigations promised, but never spoken of again
Kuhn promised internal investigations into the six complaints from the code enforcement department, but the matter was never mentioned again.
As internal investigations allegedly continue, new allegations have surfaced regarding Mayor Kuhn’s treatment of subordinates. In one case detailed by multiple witnesses, Kuhn allegedly referred to a mentally disabled township employee using a derogatory slur and stated her intent to “fire that retard and his mother by January.”
Shore News Network confirmed the remark through first-hand accounts. In another instance, she reportedly mocked a clerical worker’s appearance, describing her as “white trash” and “dressed like a whore” before reassigning her to another department.
Township officials have remained largely silent about the growing controversies, maintaining that they are doing what’s in the best interest of the township and under the banner of ‘accountability’ and ‘transparency’.
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Neither Kuhn nor the council has issued a comprehensive statement addressing the specific allegations of harassment and discrimination. Requests for comment from the township’s attorney were not returned. Meanwhile, several employees have resigned or taken leave since mid-2025, citing stress and deteriorating morale inside municipal offices.
Three key developments underscore the depth of Jackson’s current political crisis:
• Former Police Chief Matthew Kunz’s $2 million harassment settlement remains sealed from public view.
• At least four lawsuits and multiple pending complaints accuse Mayor Jennifer Kuhn of creating a hostile and abusive work environment.
• Federal and local investigations are underway amid allegations of nepotism, retaliation, and civil rights violations.
For many residents, the situation represents a dramatic reversal from Jackson’s image as a growing, stable community. The turbulence has disrupted municipal operations, strained relations between the mayor’s office and township departments, and shaken public confidence ahead of the November election.
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Supporters of Mayor Kuhn insist she is being unfairly targeted by political opponents resistant to her agenda. They argue that long-standing inefficiencies within township departments — particularly Code Enforcement.
Yet critics say the mounting lawsuits and complaints point to a deeper cultural problem within Jackson’s government, one that cannot be explained away as simple politics.
“This is not about reform,” one former township employee told Shore News Network. “It’s about power, intimidation, and a complete lack of respect for the people who serve this town.”
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With multiple cases now moving through state and federal courts, and more employees reportedly preparing to sue, the cost to taxpayers could rise well beyond the $2 million already paid to settle the police chief’s case. The township council faces increasing pressure to release the settlement details and address the broader pattern of misconduct claims that continue to surface.
As Jackson Township awaits its next election, residents find themselves questioning not just who leads their community, but how deeply the damage has spread within its government.
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For now, the town that once prided itself on quiet suburban governance has become a flashpoint of controversy, its leadership entangled in a web of lawsuits, accusations, and mistrust.
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