STONE HARBOR – A harassment lawsuit filed by a borough employee against the borough and it previous administrator, Manny Parada, has been “amicably resolved” by the parties, according to court papers filed Dec. 1.
The terms of the settlement between Megan Brown and the borough are not available. Any monetary payment would be governed by the terms of a Sept. 2 resolution by the Borough Council authorizing a payment to her of up to $150,000 upon settlement of the suit.
The disposition date of Dec. 1 came about a month and a half before a trial in the case scheduled for Jan. 19.
Brown remains an employee of the borough, in the construction office.
Her litigation was one of three suits against the borough by employees or former employees.
On June 17, the borough settled litigation with previous administrator Robert Smith, who sued the borough after he was fired in February 2023. Smith claimed whistleblower status, saying he was terminated in retaliation for actions he took to enforce state requirements for financial disclosure filings by the spouse of a sitting council member. Smith received $150,000 as part of the settlement agreement.
The third and now only remaining unsettled lawsuit of the three was brought by previous Borough Clerk Kimberley Stevenson, who claimed sexual harassment by Parada, among other allegations, when she filed against the borough and Parada in June 2024, two months before Brown filed her suit. Stevenson said she was forced from her position by a hostile work environment.
Court records show Stevenson’s suit is still active.
