Town board hires investigator over complaints against local councilman

PLEASANT VALLEY – Pleasant Valley board members voted unanimously last week to appoint a special investigator to look into five workplace violence complaints filed against Town Councilman John DelVecchio.
On May 7, 2021, five town employees filed charges of workplace violence against the sitting board member with the town clerk. The complaints were forwarded to the town’s workplace violence committee. After review, the committee recommended that Town Supervisor Frank Susczynski interview outside firms for the purpose of conducting an impartial investigation.
Susczynski interviewed two attorneys that specialize in labor and employment issues and recommended the hiring of Judith Crelin Mayle, Esq. of the law firm of Thomas, Drohan, Waxman, Petigrow, and Mayle, LLP, located in Hopewell Junction. Mayle’s knowledge of municipal law is supplemented by her having served in town government as both a board member and town supervisor in the Ulster County town of Plattekill.
Town board member Frank Mazzella said that the June hiring of Mayle is necessary, previously telling Mid-Hudson News, “We want to get the concerns of the employees addressed,” said Mazzella. “We feel that any and all complaints should be taken seriously, and we wanted to make sure that we handled them in a timely manner.”
Mayle will bill the town $200 per hour for the investigation, according to the agreement.
NEWS STORY PROVIDED BY: Mid Hudson News -www.midhudsonnews.com

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