Former city administrator says she was sexually harassed. Mayor calls her lawsuit a “money-making scheme.”

The former Robbinsville Township administrator has filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced out of office after reporting sexual harassment of a township council member and challenging questionable hiring by the mayor.

Joy Tozzi served as city administrator for about 10 years and worked for the municipality for about 15 years before being terminated in the fall of 2023.

The indictment cites two years of problems involving former Township Council Chairman Ron Witt and Mayor Dave Fried, who fired them and then publicly humiliated them, the whistleblower complaint says.

Fried shot back to NJ Advance Media, saying Tozzi was the problem in Robbinsville and insisting she resigned from her post.

“These allegations are pure fiction, especially those made against other individuals named in the lawsuit,” Fried said.

“There is absolutely no truth in this. We will defend and answer this frivolous lawsuit and have no intention of settling it. This is nothing more than a money-making scheme,” Fried said.

The lawsuit alleges that Witt sexually harassed several municipal employees, including Tozzi, and “used the police as his personal taxi service during his numerous drunken bouts.”

Witt called Tozzi “DG,” the abbreviation for “Diamond Girl,” which alluded to “the alleged shape of a woman’s intimate area,” which Witt explained to Tozzi, the indictment says.

The reports about Witt to municipal officials began in late 2021 and early 2022. Tozzi also reported Witt to Fried, the lawsuit says.

The municipality launched an investigation, interviewing Tozzi, and the investigation confirmed Witt’s conduct, the lawsuit says.

However, the city did not take any disciplinary action against Witt.

Fried later told Tozzi that Witt was his “best friend,” and according to the lawsuit, the mayor tried to smooth things over by offering to help him stop drinking. Witt then indicated that he would not run for another seat on the City Council after his term ended, the lawsuit says. (Witt did not, in fact, seek re-election.)

Following the Witt issues, Fried asked Tozzi to interview a local real estate agent for a position in the township in early 2023. Tozzi said the town had no openings or the budget for a position, but Fried insisted and forcefully pushed Tozzi back.

“Defendant Fried was so reckless in his attempts to pressure (Tozzi) into hiring (the agent) for the position in question that he reprimanded (Tozzi) and constructed a false story that she had emotional problems,” the lawsuit states.

Tozzi relented and hired the agent in the administration department for $60,000 a year plus benefits.

The realtor did poor work, came when it was convenient for her and handled private real estate transactions at the city’s expense, which caused a stir among municipal officials and council members – something Fried even admitted, the lawsuit says.

Fried said she had to be laid off by the end of the year, but quit after about five months. However, she asked to be put back on the township payroll because she had been appointed to the township’s planning board and needed a job at the township to stay.

Fried asked Tozzi to rehire her part-time, with benefits, and “find her employment.”

Tozzi declined because she had “serious concerns about rehiring an employee who had done little or no work for the municipality for five (5) months while earning an annual salary of $60,000.00 plus benefits, effectively stealing from the taxpayers.”

In response, council members falsely accused Tozzi of “mental instability” and threatened to fire her, the lawsuit says. (The commissioner remains a member of the Planning Board, now called the Land Use Board.)

The situation escalated to a boiling point and ended with Tozzi beginning to negotiate her own resignation. Fried responded by telling her to pack her things, barring her from entering the township building and ordering her to work from home, the lawsuit says.

Frustrated, Tozzi said she would stay. Three days later, on Oct. 23, 2023, Tozzi went to an in-person budget meeting and was met by the city’s police chief, who told her Fried wanted her out of the building and she would be charged with trespassing if she stayed, the lawsuit says.

Fried dismissed Tozzi by letter the same day.

Later, Fried embarrassed and humiliated Tozzi just before she was scheduled to give a speech to 500 people at the state’s municipal council. He confronted her and demanded that she return his calls because he wanted to know if she would tell people if she quit or was fired.

“Fried’s brazen attack was a clear attempt to publicly humiliate and intimidate Tozzi shortly before an important presentation in retaliation for her taking protective measures in response to his unlawful instructions,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges that Tozzi did indeed suffer mental anguish, but not because of the performance of her job, but because she was subjected to harassment and retaliation by municipal officials for several years.

Witt did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The real estate agent declined to comment.

Attorneys Johnathan J. Azar and R. Armen McOmber filed a whistleblower lawsuit on behalf of Tozzi in Mercer County.

“As alleged in the complaint, Ms. Tozzi was subjected to repeated retaliation for reporting Mr. Witt and opposing the hiring of an individual who, while effectively receiving a salary from the municipality, performed little to no work,” Azar said in a statement.

“Mayor Fried fired Ms. Tozzi because she defied him and protested this unlawful conduct. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ms. Tozzi and not only demand justice for her, but we also want to expose the outrageous behavior and rampant retaliation in the community,” Azar said.

Tozzi currently works as a township manager in East Windsor.

Thank you for relying on us to provide you with trusted local news. Please support us NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

You can reach Kevin Shea at [email protected].