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Prompted by whistleblower lawsuit filed by Montclair’s chief financial officer, Padmaja Rao, the township's council voted in favor of the leave at the end of a council meeting ending after midnight Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Rao said she suffered abusive behavior from Stafford after pointing out "fraudulent" attendance records in the fire department, and when she tried stopping elected officials from receiving health insurance improperly, Montclair Local reports.
Deputy Manager Brian Scantlebury allegedly banned Rao from attending finance meetings, saying others found her difficult to work with.
Montclair's Civil Rights Commission head Christa Rapoport tells NJ Advance Media that her organization received complaints from other women describing a toxic work environment.
"We’re concerned that there is a pervasive environment of hostility," Rapoport told the outlet. "And it’s top-down and it needs to be addressed."
Mayor Sean Spiller posted the following statement to Facebook last week:
Click here for more from Montclair Local and here for more from NJ Advance Media.
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