By Jessica Remo
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J. — A longtime township building official and a volunteer fire battalion chief were suspended from their positions last week for allegedly distributing racist emails.
Building official and zoning officer Robert LaCosta was suspended with pay and his employment will be discussed at a hearing today. He has worked for Scotch Plains for more than 35 years and currently earns an annual salary of $147,000 before additional longevity pay.
Paul Malool, a volunteer battalion chief with the town fire department, was removed from his duties at the fire department, where he received an annual $5,000 stipend as a volunteer firefighter. Township Manager Jerry Giaimis said in a memo to councilmembers that he discovered the email exchanges after a “John Doe” submitted an OPRA request seeking specific emails from LaCosta, Malool and Giaimis.
Full story: Alleged racist emails lead to suspension of Scotch Plains building official, firefighter