Mayor Joseph Maturo Explains Why He Settled Sex Harassment Case

EAST HAVEN, CT - By now, everyone in East Haven and beyond has heard that on Wednesday, Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. and the town of East Haven agreed to pay an ex town employee $175,000 and medical benefits for life for her and her husband to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit right before it went to trial.

What nobody has heard, and Patch now has because it requested any correspondence between the mayor and the Town Council since the settlement, is why Maturo agreed to the settlement.

Here is the Mayor’s explanation, as written to the Town Council:

Dear Chairman McKay and Honorable Council Members:

“Yesterday I made the decision, upon the strong and unanimous recommendation of our legal team, to settle the pending federal wage and overtime claims and state court action brought by Francine Carbone against me and the town of of East Haven. I am writing to you today, as the Town’s chief legislative body, to provide some insight into that decision so that you are aware of the facts, as opposed to some of the sensationalized claims surrounding this matter.

“As to be expected, the decision to swiftly and decisively conclude Mrs. Carbone’s pending litigation has been widely publicized, scrutinized, and politicized - all of which are outcomes I understood would naturally flow from this decision. Given the nature of the allegations, I did not expect otherwise. However, I want to assure you that I made this decision guided by the firm belief that it was in the absolute best interests of the Town of East Haven, its residents, and its taxpayers.

“I understand that, in evaluating the decision, some people may believe it was made for my own benefit. I have understood from the beginning that any settlement might be interpreted or used by some as an acknowledgment of the allegations. Amongst political circles, and for political reasons, I realized that some people might actively propagandize my decision and attempt to use it as a political weapon. Finally, I also understand that, even absent partisan influence, some people might draw conclusions from this decision, including that I was guilty of committing the disgusting, intolerable acts alleged in the complaint.

“I will have to live with all of those consequences and I am prepared to do so because, ultimately, I made the decision that I felt was in the best interests of the Town, its residents, and our taxpayers. As Mayor, how could I do anything else?

“As I peered out into the courtroom yesterday, I recognized the faces of a number of community stakeholders, town officials, and town employees - some called by Mrs. Carbone to support her case and others called by my legal team to disprove her allegations. I felt reassured by the mountain of evidence in our possession, including employee time cards, photos, and witness testimony, all of which clearly demonstrated the falsity of the allegations in booth the federal wage and overtime case and the State court action. While I understood that a settlement might be construed as an acknowledgement of culpability, in the end I swore an oath to perform my duties. As I have for nearly 17 years as Mayor, I made the decision I knew to be the right one for the Town - knowing that I could deal with any innuendo suggesting otherwise.

“Notwithstanding that mountain of evidence in favor, all I could think of was the irreparable damage this five-day trial was going to do to the Town’s reputation and to lives and reputations of countless witnesses slated to be called by both sides. For five days, I recognized that very good people were about to take the stand and find themselves cross-examined, embarrassed, and made to look foolish.

“Although I maintain the falsity of her accusations, I recognized the grief and stress Mrs. Carbone was about to experience at the hands of our legal experts, who were prepared to disprove her claims at all costs. I recognized that our community likely would have a temporary home on the front page of the local paper, which was certain to widely publicize each day’s proceedings. Finally, I recognized the business and personal relationships that stood to be damaged and destroyed if I allowed this case to move forward.

“Make no mistake - it could have moved forward. Selfishly, I could have allowed it to. However, as the leader of this community, I owed a duty to the Town and its residents to protect this Town and put its best interests before my own.

“I made a difficult decision yesterday and I accept the conclusions people will draw from it, including the embarrassing and politically inconvenient conclusion that Mrs. Carbone’s allegations were true. However, I firmly believe that I made the best possible choice - one which safeguards the Town finances and preserves the Town’s reputation as best as possible, given the quandary we found ourselves in.

“I felt the Town Council and our Town deserved to hear from me directly on this matter. I hope this letter, at a minimum, gives everyone a sense of the seriousness with which I approached this situation. I realize this explanation may never be enough for some. However, I wish to reassure all of you that my team and I will not allow this matter to pose a distraction or interrupt the efficient administration of the Town’s affairs.

“My team and I remain entirely focused on continuing to provide the highest levels of service to our residents and to ensuring our community remains a safe, affordable, beautiful place to live, work, and raise a family. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to build a better, brighter, and more prosperous East Haven.

“Very Truly Yours,

Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr.

See related: Mayor Maturo’s Sex Case Settles; How Much Will Ex Worker Get?

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