Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen and Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney disagree over whether the council members are being sued personally or solely in their official positions in a suit filed by the supervisor.
Gillen is suing the Town Board members, former Supervisor Anthony Santino, and the town’s union in an effort to nullify a contract that prevents her from laying off employees even during a financial crisis that was approved during Santino’s last meeting in charge.
The suit names all Town Board members, even Sweeney, Councilman Bruce Blakeman and Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, who voted against the resolution in December.
Sweeney called the suit a “colossal waste of resources,” according to Newsday video footage of a Town Board meeting on Tuesday.
“I also question what is possibly to be gained by suing all Town Board members in our personal, individual capacity,” Sweeney said.
Goosby also expressed concern over the lawsuit.
Blakeman, whose father, Robert, died on Saturday at 92, was not at the meeting.
Both Sweeney and Gillen are attorneys.
Gillen was a partner at the law firm of Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker & Sharfstein until taking over as town supervisor this year. She graduated from Georgetown University, earning undergraduate and law degrees.
Sweeney, a partner at Eckert Seamans Attorneys at Law, graduated from University of Notre Dame and its law school.
Gillen said it is surprising that “someone who holds a law degree from a very prestigious institution and university doesn’t understand that she’s not being sued in her personal capacity.”
She added that as the plaintiff of the suit, she thinks she would know if people were being sued in their individual capacity.
The town attorney recused himself from the discussion and the trial because of conflicts of interest.
The board voted 5-1 in favor of an outside law firm to represent Santino, according to Newsday.
Gillen voted against hiring Bee, Ready, Fishbein, Hatter & Donovan LLP to represent Santino in the case, stating the firm has a conflict, according to Newsday.
Gillen hired an outside attorney to file the suit but plans to apply for the town to cover her legal costs, according to Newsday.
In a statement, Sweeney said that Gillen’s suit “has created the need for legal representation that will come at what is expected to be a substantial cost to taxpayers.”
“These costs only add insult to injury on our already-overtaxed residents,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney, who serves as the Town Board’s Republican majority leader, said on Twitter that the town comptroller will send monthly updates on the cost of the lawsuit.
Sweeney said she will post the costs to her social media accounts for residents to view.
