Ex-coach who claimed he was targeted because of race has settled with Dumont, lawyer says

Ricardo Kaulessar | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Filing a lawsuit against a public entity To file a lawsuit against a public entity, a person must first file a tort claim notice.

A lawsuit filed in 2016 by a former Dumont youth football coach with a criminal conviction has been settled, according to court records.

Christopher Snell ran on the Republican ticket for Borough Council in 2014 and 2015 and served as the head coach of the Dumont Mighty Mites, a football team run by the Department of Recreation. He alleged in the lawsuit that he was removed as coach because of "his race and retaliation for his participation in Borough of Dumont politics" after declaring his run for office in 2014.

Snell, who is black, claimed his civil rights were violated and he was the victim of a "strategic" plan to remove him as coach. Six- and 7-year-old boys participate in the Mighty Mites program.

The lawsuit named as defendants the borough, Police Chief Michael Conner, former Police Chief Joseph Faulborn and former Borough Administrator John Perkins.

David Pfund, the attorney representing the borough, said in a letter filed with state Superior Court in Bergen County on Nov. 8, "I am pleased to advise the court the parties have reached settlement subject to the borough of Dumont governing body approval."

No details were available about the settlement, and Pfund did not respond to requests for comment. The attorney representing Snell, Donald Burke, also did not provide a comment.

In the lawsuit, Snell alleged that two weeks before the 2014 general election, Snell got a letter from Faulborn informing him that a background check disqualified him from coaching even though he had already been a coach for three years.

Snell told NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2017 that when he was 18 years old he pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance — cocaine — that occurred in New York. He said he was sentenced to a prison term of two to six years but ended up serving six months at Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in Mineville, New York.

His lawsuit alleged that Snell was disqualified from coaching while "non-African-American" coaches with criminal backgrounds were allowed to continue volunteering for the town.

Under state law, a person may be disqualified from volunteering for a youth-serving organization if his or her background check reveals a conviction for certain crimes, including any involving drugs.

Two days after receiving the letter, according to the lawsuit, Snell met with several officials, including Faulborn and Perkins, to request an appeal, but was told "there was no appeal process from the "borough of Dumont's decision to remove him as coach."

After Faulborn retired in 2016, Snell met with Conner, the new chief, to request reinstatement as coach, only to be denied by Conner, the lawsuit said.

Snell, who remains a member of the Dumont Recreation Commission, said he had to speak to Burke before he could comment regarding the settlement.

Email addressed to Conner along with Kelly, members of the Borough Council and Business Administrator Tom Richards was answered by Councilman Carl Manna, who deferred to the borough attorney, Marc Leibman. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Ricardo Kaulessar is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com Twitter: @ricardokaul

For subscribers: Man sues for $5M over 'permanent injuries' suffered while riding mechanical bull at fair

Election results: Tenafly's longtime mayor ousted by rival who knocked on thousands of doors