Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC Celebrates the One-Year Anniversary of Hon. Edward A. Jerejian, P.J.Ch. (Ret.)
Hon. Edward A. Jerejian l Feb 12, 2026 l Media Coverage
Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC proudly celebrates the first anniversary of Hon. Edward A. Jerejian, P.J.Ch. (Ret.) joining the firm. Judge Jerejian became affiliated with the firm on February 1, 2025, following his retirement…
Ex-Bergen Student says School Failed to Protect him from Bullying
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Jan 6, 2026 l Media Coverage
A former Bergen County Technical High School student and his family have accused the district of failing to protect him from violent students and continued harassment. The family filed a lawsuit against the Bergen County Technical Schools, Bergen County Technicl High School, the Board of…
Hon. Esther Suarez, Partner named to New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Transition Action Team
Hon. Esther Suarez l Dec 11, 2025 l Media Coverage
Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC proudly announces that the Honorable Esther Suarez, Partner of the firm, has been named to New Jersey…
Northjersey.com – Judge Dismisses Appeal of Fired Wayne Cop Who Sought Hearing for Failed Drug Test
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Sep 16, 2025 l Media Coverage
A first-year police officer who was terminated in January for allegedly failing a drug test has lost his bid to return to work after a judge tossed his appeal of the township decision Judge Rudolph Filko, sitting in state Superior Court in Paterson, ruled that the township was justified in firing…
Northjersey.com – Wayne Rejects Housing, but Developer is Suing and Seeking Builder’s Remedy for 160 Units
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Jul 23, 2025 l Media Coverage
The Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a plan for an age-restricted housing development on Hamburg Turnpike, capping six months of hearings where neighbors fought strenuously against the project…
NorthJersey.com – Judge Reverses Haledon Board’s Denial of Weed Shop, saying it ‘Ignored Evidence’
Daniel R. Lagana, Heather W. Goldstein l Sep 12, 2025 l Media Coverage
A judge has overturned the denial by the Planning Board of a proposed cannabis dispensary on Haledon Avenue, effectively clearing the way for the controversial project to move forward. The ruling by Judge Rudolph Filko, sitting in state Superior Court in Paterson, reverses a May 2024 decision by the board to reject the plan for the marijuana shop known as…
Northjersey.com – Wayne Rejects Housing, but Developer is Suing and Seeking Builder’s Remedy for 160 Units
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Jul 23, 2025 l Media Coverage
The Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a plan for an age-restricted housing development on Hamburg Turnpike, capping six months of hearings where neighbors fought strenuously against the project…
NJ.com – Ex-Westfield School Board Members Wins Legal Challenge Over Pro-Palestinian Posts
Matthew J. Giacobbe, Janice V. Arellano l Jul 10, 2025 l Media Coverage
A former Westfield school board member did not violate ethics rules by sharing pro-Palestinian views online, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled. Sahar Aziz, a former member of the Westfield Board of Education, faced a complaint filed with the New Jersey School Ethics Commission over her personal social media posts and academic advocacy in support of…
law.com – With Time Running Out on Public Notice Problem, Will New Publications Be Left Behind?
Steven W. Kleinman l Jun 25, 2025 l Media Coverage
With a temporary solution to New Jersey’s public notice predicament about to run out, state law lawmakers are weighing whether to eliminate most municipal government advertising in local news publications. A measure pending in the state Senate, S-4654, would allow municipalities to put public notices on their own websites, putting an end to the longstanding reliance…
DailyRecord.com – Supreme Court could be next stop for Chatham Mom’s Lawsuit Claiming School Promotes Islam
Ruby Kumar-Thompson l May 9, 2025 l Media Coverage
A lawsuit filed by a Chatham mother claiming the local schools were indoctrinating children into Islam through their curriculum could be headed to the United States Supreme Court after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled in favor of the district. The ruling by a three-judge panel in Philadelphia on Tuesday upheld earlier District Court rulings that began…
nj.com – Learning about Islam in Public Schools isn’t Indoctrination, Appeals Court Rules
Ruby Kumar-Thompson l May 7, 2025 l Media Coverage
A federal appeals court dismissed a parent’s claim that her son’s middle school curriculum violated the Constitution by teaching about Islam. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the constitutionality of a social studies curriculum that included instructional videos about Islam. In its decision issued Monday, the court said that the Chatham School District’s curriculum does not show any signs of…
northjersey.com -NJ Court Rules in Favor of Wayne in Dispute with Developer over Elevator
Matthew J. Giacobbe, Mary Anne Groh l Apr 28, 2025 l Media Coverage
The township Planning Board acted properly when it passed a resolution requiring a developer to install an elevator in a new apartment building on Valley Road, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. The ruling overturned two decisions by a lower court that had nullified the Planning Board’s resolution and assessed tens of thousands of dollars in fines against the township…
Montclair Local – Montclair’s Interim Township Attorney Gets Pay Bump
Joseph A. Garcia l Feb 14, 2025 l Media Coverage
Montclair’s interim township attorney will get an increase in his pay, something he told the Township Council will allow him to provide the required legal services at $175 per hour. The amendment to Joseph A. Garcia’s contract removes a 28 hour per week limit and increases the total contract amount by $10,000 for up to $40,0000, according to the resolution. The council had in…
NJ.com-Transgender girl was called a ‘freak’ while N.J. school did nothing, lawsuit alleges
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Feb 11, 2025 l Media Coverage
The family of a transgender student is suing a Bergen County school board, alleging officials failed to protect her and other LGBTQ+ students from harassment and discrimination. The girl and her parents filed a lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court on Jan. 31 against the Demarest Board of Education, alleging she was subjected to sex and gender-based…
NorthJersey.com – Wayne Officer Terminated for Failed Drug Test. Now he says Township got it Wrong
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Feb 10, 2025 l Media Coverage
Rookie patrolman has been fired for violating a Police Department drug policy, and he is appealing that decision in state court. Eric Lougheed, 25, was terminated on Jan. 22, court records show, after he received a discipline notice that charged him with “testing positive for a prohibited substance.” A subsequent letter to the patrolman from Business Administrator…
NorthJersey.com – Palisades Park Will Again Investigate Possible Vacation, sick time Overpayments
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Nov 22, 2024 l Media Coverage
The borough is launching an investigation into possible overpayment of vacation and sick time to some employees after “red flags” were recently raised. This isn’t the first time. In 2021, a scathing comptroller’s investigation found that officials were improperly paying employees for unused sick time. After the state comptroller found hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted, the mayor and Borough Council made changes, including…
NorthJersey.com – NJ Districts Defend Policies State says Would ‘Out’ Transgender Students to Parents
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Nov 20, 2024 l Media Coverage
Lawyers for four school districts argued before a state appeals court panel Tuesday that new district policies requiring school officials to inform parents of transgender students who out themselves in school do not violate the state’s Law Against Discrimination, as Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office says they do. A panel of three judges listened to arguments from…
Partner Arsen Zartarian’s Article Featured in New Jersey Lawyer Magazine
Arsen Zartarian l Oct 14, 2024 l Media Coverage
Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs partner Arsen Zartarian’s article “Developments in Applications to Suspend Teaching Certificates for Failure to Provide Required Notice – Recent Laws, Courts Decisions, Staffing and Societal…
Partner Steven Kleinman Named to Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100 Legal Power List
Steven Kleinman l Jul 9, 2024 l Media Coverage
Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs partner Steven Kleinman have been named to the 2024 Insider 100 Legal Power List by Insider New Jersey. The list is a compilation of the state’s top attorneys…
Daily Record -Mountain Lakes, Boonton Township in legal battle over high school tuition hike
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Jan 3, 2024 l Media Coverage
The Boonton Township Board of Education represented by Matthew Giacobbe is encouraging residents to attend Thursday night’s school board meeting in neighboring Mountain Lakes to voice objections to a proposed 7.25% tuition…
Partner Ruby Kumar-Thompson Prevails in School District of the Chathams Establishment Clause Lawsuit
Ruby Kumar-Thompson l Oct 26, 2023 l Media Coverage
After appearing on Tucker Carlson and at a school board meeting in 2017 to object to instruction…
NorthJersey.com – Partner Mary Anne Groh Prevails in $25 Million Paterson Garbage Hauling Lawsuit
Mary Anne Groh l Oct 23, 2023 l Media Coverage
A judge last week ruled in Paterson’s favor in a legal battle over the city’s decision to award a $25 million garbage collection contract to a new…
Patch – Policy to Regulate Bernards Board Members Use of Email, Social Media
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Oct 6, 2023 l Media Coverage
A policy regulating Bernards Township Board of Education(BOE) members’ use of email and social media was discussed and more changes are being proposed by the Board Attorney, Matthew Giacobbe…
New Jersey Monitor – Court Battle Heats up over Hanover Policies on Parental Notification, Transgender Rights
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Sep 29, 2023 l Media Coverage
After the state sued Hanover Township schools in May to stop a new policy…
NJ.com – 3 N.J. School Districts Could become 1 under merger plan
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Sep 25, 2023 l Media Coverage
Voters in Monmouth County will decide this week whether to merge three school districts into one. The grades K-6 school districts in Highlands, and Atlantic Highlands who is represented by Matthew Giacobbe would join the grades 7-12 Henry Hudson Regional School District, which already…
NJ Spotlight News – Mixed Response as Hanover School Board scraps policy protecting transgender students
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Sep 14, 2023 l Media Coverage
The Hanover Board of Education voted to repeal a policy that includes protections for transgender students. The vote at an emergency…
NJ Spotlight News – Judge to rule on revised parental notification policy
Matthew J. Giacobbe l Sep 6, 2023 l Media Coverage
A Morris County judge will rule on whether he will allow a revised parental notification policy to take effect in Hanover. The reworked policy by Hanover’s school board does not single out LGBTQ students, but it does let school staff consider a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity (among other reasons) to notify parents…
northjersey.com – Judge questions Hanover’s parental rights policy as district, state face off in court
Matthew J. Giacobbe I Sep 6, 2023 I Media Coverage
The state Attorney General’s Office and a Morris County school board remained at odds Wednesday over a controversial policy that critics say would violate the privacy of LGBTQ+ students, with a judge expressing…
northjersey.com – ‘I Didn’t Feel Protected At All’: Students Worry About Bill to Police Anti-Israel Speech
Matthew J. Giacobbe I Jul 13, 2023 I Media Coverage
When Anna Ben-Hur was a college junior, controversy gripped her campus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst when a handful of pro-Israel organizations tried, unsuccessfully, to cancel a panel about free speech and Palestinian rights. The organizations, one of which sued…