Inside the ‘date rape room’ and the legal nightmare from NJ mayor’s shameful exit

🔴 Pemberton Township has reached another six-figure settlement, paying $275,000 to a records clerk.

🔴 The town nearly lost insurance coverage over accusations against former Mayor Jack Tompkins.

🔴 Accusations include sexual advances, sexist restrictions, and a municipal office dubbed the "date rape room."

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP — For the third time, this Burlington County town is literally paying for the mistakes of its former mayor.

But it may not be the last time Pemberton Township agrees to a six-figure settlement for women who claim they survived working under Mayor Jack Tompkins.

Records clerk Patricia Everett and her attorney will receive a $275,000 payout from the town's insurance fund, NJ.com reported. A $45,000 co-insurance cost must also be paid by the township, which the Pine Barrens Tribune reports nearly lost its insurance coverage due to the numerous accusations against Tompkins.

Two other female employees, Candace Pennewell and Nichole Pittman, have already settled their lawsuits accusing Tompkins of misconduct. They got a combined $850,000, the Tribune reported.

Tompkins was elected in 2022 and resigned after serving less than one term. The embattled Republican officially stepped down on Dec. 31, 2025, months after facing calls to step down from all five GOP members of the council and former Gov. Phil Murphy.

While Pemberton Township has a new acting mayor, a shadow from the town's former leader still hangs over its 27,300 residents.

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Disturbing claims and the "date rape room"

New Jersey court records show that three other Pemberton employees — all women — have lawsuits pending against Tompkins. They contain accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Community Development Director Rosemary Flaherty said that Tompkins accused her of sleeping with two council members, made sexual comments, and repeatedly threatened to fire her. She also heard Tompkins make degrading remarks about women and the smell of fish.

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According to municipal employee Ashlee Bartole, Tompkins said that women are incompetent and that she “wouldn’t have gotten a second look.” Bartole also said that Tompkins didn't let women eat at their desks, except during lunch, while men didn't have such restrictions.

Former Recreation Department head Jennifer Deeds said that Tompkins made sexual advances toward her. The mayor also asked a municipal employee's minor daughter if she wanted to take a ride to a private beach so they could be alone, Deeds said. Her lawsuit also says that Tompkins referred to one room in the municipal building as the "date rape room" because it had a couch.

Amid the accusations, the township council authorized a third-party investigation. It was done by Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, a law firm in Hackensack. The April 2024 report found that Tompkins regularly made inappropriate sexual comments and that employees were "genuinely afraid of retaliation."

Disturbingly, investigators also found that Tompkins had a reputation among minor female seasonal employees as "creepy," and they agreed to avoid him.

New Jersey 101.5 did not have contact information for Tompkins to request comment. NJ.com reported that he did not respond to a comment request.

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