Former Long Branch employees accuse finance director of harassment, say vacation pay withheld

Several former employees spoke during the June 25 public comment period, accusing Finance Director Michael Martin of harassment and alleging the city withheld accrued vacation pay after one employee’s separation.

“My name is Christie Fernandez. ... I was written up, disciplined, and suspended for 5 days on my last full day of employment with the city,” Fernandez told the council, describing disciplinary hearings and contested charges tied to payroll processing and deleted emails. Fernandez said she attended two hearings and that a city representative did not appear at the April 30 proceeding.

Kathy Fuller, who said she worked for the city 17½ years, described similar treatment and alleged Martin “changed a sick day ... to a vacation day so he could suspend me.” Fuller said she had been suspended and that she and others “went through constant harassment and discrimination under Mike Martin.”

Christie Fernandez and other speakers asked the council to resolve what they said was withheld vacation pay from Fernandez’s termination. Councilman Dangler responded that he hoped accrued vacation time would be “rectified” so both parties are satisfied, noting the council cannot comment on personnel discipline but can address owed vacation.

Speakers said they had raised the matter with their union and that prior findings had found misconduct by Martin in a separate matter: Greg Dilcher, speaking as the former employee’s brother, referenced a past labor-council finding that Martin had used offensive language toward staff and said the town’s response to that finding was inadequate.

Council did not take a personnel vote during the meeting. Council members said they wished to see the vacation-held matter resolved and emphasized limits on public comment about personnel discipline.