Candidate defends record with state

Debra Johnson discusses accusations made about her by the state.

By: Joseph Harvie
   Mayoral candidate Debra Johnson says allegations that she created a hostile work environment when she worked for the state are unfounded and that campaign tactics being used by her opponent are distorting the record.
   Ms. Johnson approached the South Brunswick Post to explain the circumstances surrounding her 2004 resignation from the state Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs and to dispute a finding by a state affirmative action panel that supported accusations against her.
   The state Opportunity and Affirmative Action Unit issued a press release on March 10, 2004, after an appeal by Ms. Johnson was denied. It stated that Ms. Johnson was subject to disciplinary measures because she called he co-workers names, demeaned the religion of one of her employees and made statements that she would not want to hire people who are married with children.
   Ms. Johnson’s appeal was denied by a state Merit Board and she was ordered to be reassigned to another position. She denied the reassignment and resigned from the state job.
   The state panel’s findings have been posted to a message board on South Brunswick issues hosted by NJ.com and have been the subject of telephone polling.
   Ms. Johnson, a former mayor, is running as an "Independent Democrat" against Mayor Frank Gambatese, who is seeking re-election with the backing of the township Democratic Party, in the June 5 primary.
   Ms. Johnson said she wanted to explain her side of the story before the information about her leaving the state was put out and possibly distorted by her opponent’s campaign.
   Recently, members of her campaign organization had been contacted via telephone as part of a political poll, Ms. Johnson said. They told her that the 20-minute phone survey asked "Do you know Debra Johnson?" If respondents answered yes, she said, they were then asked "Do you know she was fired from her state position for harassment?"
   "They said that I was fired and I wasn’t, I was reassigned," Ms. Johnson said. "They also said that I was brought before a state Merit Board, I wasn’t. I appealed to the state Merit Board.
   "I refuse to let this slow down my campaign. How many times am I going to be made to pay for something I didn’t do."
   Mayor Gambatese said Tuesday that neither he nor his campaign was involved in the polling and that he heard that the questions also cast him in a negative light.
   "I didn’t do the polls," Mayor Gambatese said. "I take very little stock in polls. Polling, to me, leaves a lot to be desired."
   Mayor Gambatese said he is unsure if his campaign would send out any information on the allegations against Ms. Johnson.
   "The first piece of literature will be mailed out this week and it is a positive piece about me," Mayor Gambatese said. "As I’ve said before, she was mayor for five years. Her record is out there. I’ve been mayor for three years, so my record will be out there, too. Will it (the allegations) come in to play? It may. Certainly the word is out there."
   According to the state’s press release, Ms Johnson was accused of making "demeaning remarks" about a subordinate’s religion, said she didn’t want to hire employees who were married with children, and told people to hire a "good looking male intern."
   According to the release she called one of her workers, Eric Lieberman, an "idiot," "retard," "chicken" and "evil." Also, another employee Michael Kennedy, said that he was called a "baby," "retard," "stupid," "idiot" and "holdover," according to the release.
   Mr. Lieberman told investigators that Ms. Johnson also said that he and then Health Commissioner Clifton Lacey were "different kinds of Jews" and, according to the release, witnesses said that they had remembered Ms. Johnson talking about religion while at work.
   Because of the allegations, Ms. Johnson was told she would have to be reassigned, the release stated.
   Ms. Johnson said she opted not be reassigned and stepped down from her position with the state. She currently works as general counsel and vice president of the legal department at Bergan Regional Medical Center in Paramus.
   Ms. Johnson appealed the decision but was denied because the comments she made violated state policy, the release said.
   Ms. Johnson said that she didn’t call people names out of spite or anger while at work.
   Ms. Johnson said she never said that Mr. Lieberman and Dr. Lacey were "different kinds of Jews." However, she admits that she told Mr. Lieberman after a meeting with the commissioner during which Mr. Lieberman and Dr. Lacey discussed a mutual acquaintance that she thought the two men were of different sects of the Jewish religion.
   "When we went back to the office to review what we had discussed, I said that it was not the proper time to ingratiate yourself with Dr. Lacey," Ms. Johnson said. "He took that and made that into the ‘different kind of Jew comment.’ That is not even what I said and I want to know who corroborated that."
   Ms. Johnson said her interest was in keeping work first and that it was not an anti-Semitic statement. She said she only meant to keep her employee focused on the tasks they had been assigned.
   "Even though Eric misspoke, I can’t say that my feelings weren’t hurt," Ms. Johnson said. "I have to be able to sit and discipline my employees without them coaching me and making it an anti-Semitic statement. If I get disciplined I don’t walk out and say that they said that because I’m black."
   Ms. Johnson said she would not allow the allegations made against her to slow down her campaign.
   "This will not stop me," Ms. Johnson said. "This will not stop my campaign. I won’t allow it."