An Arbitrator has described Nazazreth Police Officer Fred Lahovski as a "highly motivated police officer". He's the kind of cop you'd want to have if you were in trouble. He's one of two officers who whisked a 9 year-old Nazareth boy to safety as that boy's distraught father fired on state troopers, killing one of them. But in Nazareth, he's been painted as a troublemaker who upset the good ol' boys. They got rid of him. That decision was reversed by an Arbitrator, and Lahovski fired back with a 410-paragraph civil rights complaint aimed at Nazareth, its mayor, its police chief and the entire borough council. In the course of trying to bring him under control, they violated his civil rights repeatedly. Unfortunately, we the people will pay for this arrogance.
United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez, in an Order issued today, has ruled that "Defendants retaliated against [Lahovski] for exercising his First Amendment Free Speech and Petition Clause rights. It is clearly established that a public employee has the constitutional right to speak as a citizen on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation."
Judge Sanchez also ruled that Lahovski has stated a claim for municipal liability at this stage.
"Lahovski’s Complaint adequately alleges the Borough had a policy of retaliating against citizens who exercise their First Amendment rights and that [Mayor] Daugherty and the members of the Council were the authorized decisionmakers in carrying out this policy. "
Although Judge Sanchez did not buy into the conspiracy theory or due process violations, he has dismissed those claims without prejudice to renew them if Lahovski can substantiate those claims with evidence at the trial.
He has also refused to release individual Defendants like Chief Thomas Trachta, and has allowed the claim for punitive damages to proceed.
You can read Lahovski's civil rights complaint here. It paints a sad picture of Nazareth government.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Thursday, July 16, 2015
16 comments:
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Glad I don't live in Naz. The settlement is going to hurt. And the sticker gang suit is coming, as well.
ReplyDeleteBernie - could you possibly post the opinion? The lawsuit is 143 pages, and I may die before finishing it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am in a meeting now but will post the opinion.
ReplyDeleteYou should run for Mayor, make things right. You can rent & run yes?
ReplyDeleteThe hovel would make for a cramped headquarters, would Rosie be your campaign manager or one of the sticker goonies?
ReplyDeleteTake your drug cocktail and go to sleep, Mezzacappa.
ReplyDeleteIs Randy Miller still on the NPD?
ReplyDeleteyes.
ReplyDeleteDoes he still have that outrageous mustache?
ReplyDeleteTake your drug cocktail and go to sleep, Mezzacappa.
ReplyDeleteWill Nazareth be forced to pay off the lawsuit settlement in "cupcakes"?
ReplyDeleteFred will win. Nazareth will fall. The good old boys club will be exposed as they should have been years ago. Happy 275th Anniversary
ReplyDeleteHa Marine you know who this is❗ watch your back with Yosemite Sam /cupcake. He might have Deputy Dogg try to pee on your tires. I say let him try. I would pay to watch you kick him in the nuts so hard his mouth would snap shut decocking cupcakes candle. Saving the world from anymore freaks of birth.
ReplyDeleteanoon 2:50 unresolved anger issues I see. Better take a hit and then a nap.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the new chief that was supposed to take over cupcakes job❓ That's right. They were just fucking with Yosemite Sam. They needed a new boy for the cupcake to play with and he fit the spot. What should we name him . Dog sorry don't know you long enough to add another g. Dogg earned that double g along time ago. I know we can call you Boy, fetch me a condom Boy,clean under my desk Boy. Tell me what I ate last night Boy, good Boy,your right Boy ❗ You and Dogg chase each other's tail around. Ready set hump I mean go .Good Boy you lost . Come here Dogg,next time let him think he wins. He knows his place right Boy.Officer Fred I don't know how you can walk into the station.Without laughing,OMG I would be having a heart attack,pissing my pants.Hats off to you and the other real cops there,you have to video tape it and put it on YouTube.I would pay to watch it again and again and again and again. You can call it 3fucks for a buck. I want to sign up it will be the best reality show ever can't wait for 3fucks for a buck
ReplyDeleteYour an asshole they can't chase each other under the table.My God if they got hurt,we would have to pay them for on the job injury. Let them chase a freebie out side . Besides don't you know. Boy and Dogg wear different colored lipstick to see who goes down further dumb ass . Boy wins that one . Hell you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that. Fucken Dogg sits in his patrol car an howls at the moon.Dogg suck it up . Smell the balls get over it. Your not the new pup on the block anymore.
ReplyDelete