Christie was supportive of the firing of Derek Fenton, who filed a lawsuit seeking job back
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N.J. Gov. Chris Christie in this October 2010 file photo.TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie and other top administration officials were named today as being connected to the controversial case in which an NJ Transit worker was fired for burning pages of the Quran in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11.
Derek Fenton is suing the state to get his job back, saying he was exercising free speech rights. Christie was supportive of the firing, which the American Civil Liberties Union has called unconstitutional.
During today’s hearing in federal court in Newark, Fenton’s lawyers read from a list of people the state said were linked to the case. Five people from the governor’s office were identified as having "information concerning the decision to discharge Fenton:" Christie, Chief of Staff Richard Bagger, Communications Director Maria Comella, Chief Counsel Jeff Chiesa and Employee Relations Director David Cohen. NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein was also among the more than two dozen people on the list.
"They are potential witnesses in the case," said Frank Corrado, a lawyer for Fenton.
Corrado said it’s unclear how Christie’s office was involved in the firing, and said he hasn’t decided whether to seek depositions from the governor and top officials.
A spokesman for Christie declined comment.
Deborah Jacobs, executive director for the ACLU in New Jersey, said she was surprised to see Christie’s name listed.
"It seems to me that a hastily made, low-level personnel decision wouldn’t ordinarily reach our top levels of government," she said. "If the governor had knowledge of it, why on earth did it come to this? It’s poor use of taxpayer resources to defend a case where someone’s rights were so clearly violated."
Fenton, 40, of Bloomingdale, caused a firestorm on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks when he burned pages of the Quran during a protest. He was escorted away by police but not arrested. Two days later, the 11-year employee lost his NJ Transit job for breaching the agency’s code of ethics.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this post's headline incorrectly stated that Christie and top officials were named in the lawsuit filed by Derek Fenton. Fenton's lawyers today read from a list of people, including Christie, the state said were linked to the case.
Previous coverage:
• Lawyers for fired NJ Transit worker who burned Quran to detail lawsuit seeking reinstatement
• Bloomingdale man is fired from NJ Transit job for burning Quran near Ground Zero
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• Controversy over proposed mosque near Ground Zero overshadows Sept. 11 ceremony
• Gainesville pastor Terry Jones cancels Quran burning on 9/11
• Star-Ledger editorial: Flaming idiocy: Florida pastor's plan to burn Quran stokes hate
• Proposed mosque near Ground Zero draws hundreds of demonstrators