CLARK —A Superior Court judge last week dismissed multiple allegations that were levied against the Township of Clark by one of its former police officers, who claims that Mayor Sal Bonaccorso and other representatives from the community have attempted to block him from obtaining gainful employment out of retaliation.
In February, Antonio Manata, a former Clark police lieutenant whose legal challenges with the township date back more than two years, filed an amended complaint with the state alleging that Clark officials violated the terms of an earlier settlement agreement by intentionally putting up roadblocks to prevent him from getting work as a longshoreman and barring him from applying for a certain type of firearms permit usually granted to retired law enforcement officers. The 230-page complaint goes on to allege that the township misrepresented Mr. Manata in a 2020 personal-injury lawsuit by failing to inform him of certain details related to the case, refused to supply his job records to a prospective employer, negated his right to privacy, created a hostile work environment and, among other acts of “ongoing harassment,” refused to pick up his recycling.
Mr. Manata, who made national headlines after a series of racially charged recordings that he made of Mayor Bonaccorso, Police Chief Pedro Matos and other township representatives was released to the media in 2022, alleges via the complaint that the township has been acting out of retaliation ever since.
The township filed a motion to dismiss the majority of Mr. Manata’s claims earlier this year.
On Friday, Judge John Deitch ordered that five of the 12 official charges — three of which pertain to the 2020 personal-injury lawsuit and two of which pertain to his employment records — be dismissed.
“The Township of Clark is pleased that the trial court recognized at this early stage of litigation the futility of several of Plaintiff’s claims, including the claims for breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting, and negligent misrepresentation, which were all dismissed with prejudice as a matter of law,” township officials said via a press release last week.
Other charges, including one count of attorney malpractice, two counts of tortuous interference (which claim that the township has made it difficult for Mr. Manata to secure new employment) and one count of negligent hiring and supervision, which alleges that the township failed to create proper workplace rules and regulations, will be considered as the legal proceedings move forward.
“Although the trial court has, for now, permitted certain of Plaintiff’s claims to survive, the Court did not rule that these claims were meritorious,” the township’s press release continued. “Instead, the Court simply found that the Plaintiff’s remaining claims were not ripe for dismissal at this time. We will continue to challenge the validity of the remaining claims through the discovery process and with future motion practice.”
Mr. Manata also has filed suit against the Union County Prosecutor’s Office (UCPO) and the State Office of the Attorney General (AG), alleging that a drawn-out internal affairs investigation that took more than three years to complete prevented him from accessing his pension and other benefits related to his time on the force. A motion to dismiss currently is working its way through the court system.
The results of that investigation, which, among other admonishments, recommended that two police officers — Chief Matos and Sgt. Joseph Teston — be immediately stripped of their titles and relieved of duty, were released by the AG in November of last year.
According to the New Jersey Department of Pensions and Benefits, Mr. Manata was paid a lump sum of $182,450 in March of this year. Public records indicate that he is not scheduled to receive monthly payments going forward. Requests for comment by the state were not returned at the time of publication.
Chief Matos, Sgt. Teston and a third officer who also was named in the AG’s report have since filed their own suits against both the state and the UCPO, alleging, like Mr. Manata, that the investigation should be negated for taking too long to complete.
And while the AG ultimately found that criminal charges would not be brought against Mr. Bonaccorso for the language he used on the recordings, he currently is facing unrelated charges related to his landscaping company based on information that the state says it uncovered throughout the lengthy investigation. Mr. Bonaccorso has denied the allegations and presently is seeking reelection.
