RVCC massage therapy teacher files whistle-blower suit - NJ.com

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BRANCHBURG — A former massage therapy educator at Raritan Valley Community College has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired after accusing college officials of "perpetrating a fraud."

Marlene Hudson alleges in the whistle-blower lawsuit that RVCC was "improperly receiving grant funds" from state and federal agencies for a massage therapy program that didn't exist. When she raised concerns to college officials, she was fired, she is claiming in a lawsuit filed on May 25, 2016, in Burlington County Superior Court.

"We brought the lawsuit because our client engaged in protection conduct under the New Jersey whistle-blower law," said Mount Laurel-based attorney Kevin M. Costello. "We believe she was terminated because of that conduct. The suit seeks to have a jury address those issues."

RVCC spokesperson Donna Stolzer said the college does not comment on ligation.

In her lawsuit, first reported by open public records advocate John Paff, Hudson claims she was alarmed when she was asked to produce curriculum materials for the massage therapy program when she was hired in May 2015.

Hudson said it was her understanding that RVCC had a massage therapy program and had been receiving state and federal grants for the program "for several years," including a workforce grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, according to the lawsuit.

When Hudson addressed the matter during a meeting in September of 2015, Jacki Belin, RVCC's vice president for Strategic Programs & Development, "responded angrily and yelled," saying that a massage therapy program was in place, according to the lawsuit.

RVCC and Howard University sign agreement

In early October 2015, Hudson took her concerns about the massage program's non-compliance with the grant to the school's Human Resources Department. She also claimed she had not being paid for work performed from May to July 2015, when she was put on the payroll.

Hudson said she was told to do a write-up of her hours spent working during that time period, according to the lawsuit. When Hudson submitted the write-up to college officials, she was told she was owed "substantially less" than she claimed, according to the lawsuit.

On Oct. 30, Hudson was called into a meeting with college officials and told she was being terminated because she was doing the work of a massage program coordinator instead of an educator. She also claimed officials said at the time of her termination that they wanted to employ a coordinator rather than an educator.

Hudson was given a 30-day notice and paid until Nov. 30, according to the lawsuit.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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