Decision to Nix Veteran as Memorial Day Speaker Draws Fire in Teaneck

The decision to disinvite a former U.S. Marine and Teaneck community activist from speaking at the town's Memorial Day event has sparked outrage from supporters, who say the move was politically motivated.

Jason Castle, an Iraq war veteran who enlisted after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, said he accepted an invitation from Patriotic Observance Advisory Board chair John McGilchrist only to be told later the town manager had nixed the invite. 

Castle alleged he was told the invite was pulled because of his rumored plan to run for council, his criticism of the town's governing body and leadership role in Teaneck 2020, a group affiliated with former Councilwoman Barbara Toffler, a frequent critic of the manager and council. Residents, including State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, blasted council members and the town manager over the decision at a meeting Tuesday. 

Weinberg said Castle was "being blacklisted because of his political beliefs" and demanded to know what gave Township Manager William Broughton authority to cancel the speaking invitation. 

"There are some of you up here who might not approve of my political views but I've been a keynote speaker at Memorial Day in Teaneck," she told council members. 

"We are talking about civil liberties," Weinberg said. "We are talking about people's right to speak their minds and I am absolutely shocked."

Naomi Cramer, a township resident, likened the issue to McCarthyism in the 1950s. 

"We have McCarthy tactics in 2013," she told the council. "I can't believe you're letting this happen in Teaneck." 

For his part, Broughton said he did not discuss the matter with council and made the decision to cancel Castle's invite based solely on his conduct at council meetings. 

"At these meetings, Mr. Castle has had numerous negative interactions with the council during the meetings and based on these interactions I did not think it was appropriate for Mr. Castle to be the speaker to represent the council at Memorial Day and I would not have put him forward to do that," the manager said.

The debate over Castle's speaking invitation was tinged with long-standing political divisions in Teaneck. Some have speculated Castle will run for council next year, and he lost a Democratic congressional primary race last year against Deputy Mayor Adam Gussen, a Toffler political foe. 

A motion by Councilwoman Lizette Parker seeking to have Castle speak failed with lone support from Councilman Henry Pruitt. 

"It's an embarrassment," Parker said. "Never before in my history on council have I ever had someone present a speaker that we had to approve or not."

But Broughton insisted his decision was not based any potential run for office or association with Teaneck 2020.

"There's one reason I made the decision that I made and I stand by that decision," Broughton said. 

"I believe Memorial Day is not about the speaker. Memorial Day is for us to honor those who died, who have given the ultimate sacrifice, who sacrificed their lives for this country, that is why I decided to do what I did," he said. 

Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin said there was no formal process to determine who can speak at the ceremony. 

'We'll address it with [the Patriotic Observance Advisory Board] and we'll put together a procedure that's fair and balanced so that this does not happen again," Hameeduddin said. 

Past Memorial Day speakers have included Gussen, Toffler and former service members.  

Councilman Elie Y. Katz said communications from advisory boards, such as the committee planning the ceremony, should be funneled to the council. The issue, Katz said, was about process. 

"I don't want to point fingers," Katz said. "I think we learned from this."

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