Did mayor cancel fall, winter fests and Santa pics to spite Pemberton employee?

PEMBERTON TWP. — Were Pemberton’s official fall and winter celebrations scrubbed last year to punish an employee? That’s what a lawsuit from their organizer claims.

Less than year into his first term, Mayor Jack Tompkins became the prime focus of a sexual discrimination lawsuit from the woman heading township recreation services.

Director Nichole Pittman, a 17-year employee, swears in a complaint filed in November that working with Tompkins is anything but recreational. Her complaint is headed toward a civil trial in Burlington County Superior Court.

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Attorney R. Armen McOmber, whose firm represents Pittman, said the mayor spiced his harassment of Pittman by canceling the annual Pictures With Santa Winter Festival and Fall Festival. Those are seasonal events the recreation department sponsors and close to Pittman’s heart, he said.

“Not only is it punitive and retaliatory, it is extremely juvenile to basically punish the entire town to get to her,” McOmber said.

And for 2024, McOmber said, the mayor has approved a car show but no other regular event.

Pittman claims in her lawsuit that Tompkins in January 2023 visited the Senior Center. He startled her by allegedly telling residents she just was given a “pink slip,” although Pittman had not gotten one.

The lawsuit alleges his firing threats continued regularly: “In and around February 2023, Defendant Tompkins made a habit of stopping by Plaintiff’s office unannounced multiple times a day for the sole purpose of saying, ‘No pink slip for you today, but there is always tomorrow.’”

Finally, the suit states, Tomkins made good on that threat in a July 13, 2023 letter. The letter told Pittman she was fired as director and demoted to her civil service position as recreation coordinator with a reduction in salary.

The alleged basis for the firing was an argument the two had on July 8 at the township Water Carnival. It also came days after she filed a complaint with the township administrator against the mayor. Tompkins has charge of the Recreation Department under the township charter.

Pittman, however, kept her director’s job. The Township Council, on a unanimous vote at a special meeting on July 31, canceled her firing. The council recently also authorized itself to investigate the allegations, including issuing subpoenas to witnesses.

The township itself and Administrator Daniel Hornickel also are defendants. Pittman claims she reported Tompkins to the administrator for multiple incidents, some involving other employees, but the township took no actions to rein in the mayor.

Pemberton unusually has hired two law firms for the litigation, with one firm defending the township and Hornickel while the other firm is defending Tompkins.

Attorney Matthew J. Behr, who is defending the township and Hornickel, filed a 12-page answer to the lawsuit on Jan. 5. He declined to comment on the case, though.

According to the township, Tompkins is out of state traveling presently. Attorney Timothy Bieg, appointed early this month to represent the mayor, did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

McOmber welcomes the council investigation but questions why it took until December to decide.

“So, we’ll see what the investigation yields and if it changes anything,” he said. “But it’s been a very, very difficult time for our client. And all I can say is, I’m proud to represent her because it takes a lot of gut and a lot of courage to stand up to this kind of thing.”

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Pemberton mayor accused of harassing director, banning popular fests