If he had it to do over again, Treasurer Joe Ferrari would not have handled the harassment complaint against him in closed session.
‘That was completely my mistake,? said Ferrari, during the board member comments portion of last week’s regular township meeting.
The treasurer was referring to the Feb. 12 closed session meeting held to discuss the harassment complaint township employee Patti Durr lodged against him in writing on Feb. 5.
‘I had every intention before that meeting of making it public, but I was advised beforehand your best bet is to go into closed session and discuss it then,? Ferrari explained. ‘Then all is said and be done with it.?
‘That was the advice I was given,? he noted. ‘It was completely my mistake I took that advice.?
Although no specific details regarding the harassment complaint were ever released, the township attorney confirmed that it was not of a sexual nature.
‘I was perfectly prepared to go public with it because I had no problem with the issue,? the treasurer explained. ‘But I took the advice to go into closed session. That’s what I did and I can live with those consequences.?
Following last month’s closed session, the board took no action regarding the complaint. Neither Ferrari nor Durr have publicly commented on the issue until now.
In 2002, Ferrari was accused of sexual harassment (a claim later dismissed by the court) and other charges by his former deputy treasurer, whom he had fired.
It cost the township and its insurance provider a combined $100,000 to settle the subsequent lawsuit.