Just weeks after former Howell Township Manager Joe Clark filed a lawsuit against the Township leaders, Deputy Township Manager Matthew Howard has filed a sweeping whistleblower lawsuit against Howell Township and several top officials, alleging they advanced discriminatory housing proposals targeting immigrants and minority residents and then retaliated against him when he objected.

The 62-page complaint, filed in Monmouth County Superior Court, names Mayor John Leggio, Councilman Ian Nadel, Clerk Diane Festino, and Councilwoman Susan Fischer. Howard accuses them of attempting to enact ordinances he says were unconstitutional, and of creating a hostile work environment that ultimately sidelined him from township leadership.

Howard, who also serves as the township’s Director of Land Use and Director of Community Development, brought the claims under New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), which safeguards employees from retaliation when they object to practices they reasonably believe are unlawful.

Allegations of Discriminatory Ordinances

The lawsuit centers on what Howard describes as the “Law & Order Rental Ordinance Update,” proposals advanced in 2024 and 2025 by Leggio and Nadel. According to the complaint, the measures would have:

• Required tenants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency before receiving a rental certificate.
• Authorized the township to revoke Certificates of Occupancy if a tenant or guest was arrested — even for minor offenses — regardless of whether charges were sustained.
• Placed properties on a five-year rental blacklist if a certificate was revoked.
• Directed police to share arrest data with code enforcement to flag suspected undocumented residents.

Howard and then-Township Manager Joseph Clark objected, telling officials the measures were unlawful and discriminatory.

Other Allegations

The complaint also cites several incidents Howard says demonstrate bias and retaliation:

• Recycling checks: Nadel allegedly suggested code enforcement drive through neighborhoods on recycling day and use Modelo beer bottles in bins as an indicator of undocumented tenants.
• Religious targeting: Nadel is accused of directing Howard to arrange a code enforcement stakeout of a Jewish household on Michelle Boulevard during Shabbos gatherings in order to cite residents for over-occupancy. Howard refused.
• School records: According to the lawsuit, Nadel pressed officials to obtain school rosters and cross-check names such as “Ortiz,” “Velasquez,” and “Rodriguez” against rental permits, remarking: “We can just tell from the last names who we need to look at.”
• Public blame after homicide: Following a June 2025 homicide in Howell, Nadel allegedly texted that it was time for a “full-on ban on illegal aliens renting in our town.” The next day, Leggio and Nadel issued a public Facebook post stating they were “disgusted with certain Township officials” for allowing conditions that led to the crime. Howard says the statement falsely implicated him.

Claims of Retaliation

Howard contends that after repeatedly objecting to the proposed ordinances, he became the target of retaliation. The lawsuit alleges he was:

• Excluded from executive sessions and other leadership meetings.
• Subjected to improper personnel file inquiries.
• Publicly criticized by residents who, Howard claims, were emboldened by council members’ comments.
• Passed over for Acting Township Manager after Clark’s suspension, despite township ordinance requiring that he be elevated. Festino was appointed instead.

In a formal complaint to the township’s human resources director, Howard described a “hostile work environment” where residents confronted him at public meetings with accusations of bribery while elected officials looked on.

Relief Sought

Howard is seeking reinstatement to his full duties, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and court-ordered corrective measures. Among the remedies he requests are mandatory anti-discrimination, anti-retaliation, and workplace civility training for township officials.

The complaint characterizes the defendants’ actions as a “chilling abuse of governmental power” that attempted to weaponize local housing laws to punish residents based on immigration status, ethnicity, or religion.

One of the remedies available in the suit is that if they violated the Faulkner Act, the Court can order them to be removed from office.

Next Steps

The lawsuit, filed September 5, 2025, is pending in Monmouth County Superior Court. The township has not yet filed a formal response.

Read the full lawsuit below: