Ex-Summit Downtown Social Media Manager Trolls Former Employer On TikTok

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect comments from the Assistant Director of Summit Downtown Inc.

SUMMIT, NJ — After he was fired as the social media manager for Summit Downtown Inc., Graham Colligan decided to express his frustrations on the organization's TikTok account.

Whereas he used to post basic videos promoting the Summit Diner and other local businesses, Colligan shifted the account's focus to bashing on New Jersey malls, as well as his former employer.

According to Nancy Adams, the executive director of Summit Downtown Inc. (SDI), Colligan originally set up the TikTok account through his personal email using SDI's name because he thought it would be good for social media outreach. Adams said the organization rarely used the TikTok.

When Colligan was fired, Adams said he was locked out of all other SDI social media platforms, but since the TikTok was created using his personal email, he still had access.

"Summit NJ fired me as their social media manager but I’m still logged into their TikTok account lmao,” Colligan wrote in the caption of one video, according to NJ.com. And below: “Alright time to start some NJ drama."

Colligan posted a series of videos on SDI's TikTok page — all of which have now been deleted.

According to NJ.com, a TikTok account for the Downtown Naperville Alliance of Naperville, Illinois, replied to one of Colligan's videos and said, "Looking for someone to help launch our TikTok page. But not someone that will take it over and lock us out."

Colligan clapped back at the account in a responding TikTok, while also revealing some of the details of his own termination.

"Listen, as long as you treat your employee well, and pay them the amount that you agreed upon and didn’t fire them for going on vacation that you OK’d with three months in advance, I’m sure, like, there’s no reason why someone would lock you out of your account, especially after a month of being fired," Colligan said.

However, Assistant Director of Summit Downtown Amanda Lynn told Patch that Colligan's statements about his employment are "not true." Lynn said he was paid an agreed upon amount that could increase after three months, but instead he was let go.

She said his vacation was not pre-approved and was in the middle of the busy holiday season.

In another video, Colligan revealed that he made $23 an hour at his part-time job with SDI, working 10 to 15 hours per week. In the same video, he ranted about the cost of multimillion dollar homes in the Summit area, according to NJ.com.

He also posted a video about "the worst malls in New Jersey," and referred to The Mall at Short Hills as a "mega capitalist corporate America type sh-t."

Westfield Garden State Plaza, Ocean County Mall and Monmouth Mall also made his list, according to NJ.com.

Adams said Colligan was advised that further action will be taken against him if he attempted to access the social media channel or any SDI platform in the future.

Colligan did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

His LinkedIn page shows that he is a social media manager and marketing specialist, but his time at SDI has since been deleted. Colligan started the job in September and said he was fired in December, according to NJ.com.

SDI is a non-profit organization that represents all retailers and businesses in Summit's downtown Special Improvement District. The purpose of SDI is to encourage the development and growth of businesses in the downtown, and the organization is governed by a 14-member Board of Trustees comprised of downtown businesses, downtown commercial property owners, community residents, members of the Common Council, the Mayor and the City Administrator.

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