A former Pembroke Park Human Resources Director, Babette Friedman, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the small Broward County town of about 6,000 souls and the notoriously controversial commissioner, Geoffrey Jacobs, as reported by Local 10 News. Friedman is seeking compensation in excess of $2 million, claiming to have resigned in September due to a "hostile work environment" created by Jacobs’ unprofessional behavior and verbal assaults—which includes the commissioner purportedly calling her a "Nazi" during a public event in May, an allegation he doesn't recollect but countered with a suggestive "four-letter word" that might fit her better.
An investigation ordered by the town and conducted by an outside attorney, painted Jacobs with the broad strokes of a bully, detailing threatening, humiliating, and intimidating tactics, yet leading to uncertain repercussions. The inquiry, costing the town coffers a neat $19,000, found consistent reports of Jacobs creating a "hostile, volatile, toxic workplace," with proof of him engaging in a litany of unbecoming behavior, covering the gamut from racial and ethnic slurs to misogynistic rants. In statements obtained by the Sun Sentinel, Jacobs' lawyer has brushed off the findings as a mere "political witch hunt."
The lawsuit depicts Friedman's ordeal, alleging that Jacobs' haranguing left town employees "terrified to stand up for themselves," a climate of fear supposedly sustained by the commissioner's penchant for ripping into dissenters publically and online. Echoing these concerns, the suit claims there hasn't been a woman in authority that Jacobs could amicably cooperate with—sentiments that an external investigation corroborated, drawing on accounts from other commissioners and employees.
Jacobs, who has flirted with notoriety before, including a headline-making instance where he called in law enforcement on the current Mayor Ashira Mohammed during a commission meeting over an unfounded gun possession claim, has kept his footprints all over each new scandal. As for the recent lawsuit, a spokesperson responded on behalf of Pembroke Park stating that the town hasn't laid eyes on the suit yet, hence they withheld comment. Jacobs directed Local 10 News for any comments to his attorney, Michael Pizzi, who was yet to offer any response as of Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Babette Friedman has moved on from the bureaucratic fray, finding refuge as the HR director at the city of North Miami Beach and serving as president of the Florida Public Human Resources Association. As it stands, online records show no court date has been fixed for Friedman's case, possibly prolonging her wait for vindication or settlement.
