GOP infighting in Chester results in federal lawsuit

The lawsuit filed by Nanette Batista-Perez against Town Clerk Linda Zappala and the Town of Chester alleges that Zappala fired her for supporting Town Supervisor Robert Valentine in his re-election bid. According to the lawsuit, Batista-Perez was a loyal employee of the town for over 15 years and had been working as Deputy Town Clerk since 2014.

The lawsuit claims that Zappala, who was running for Town Council at the time, began to mistreat Batista-Perez after she expressed her support for Valentine in the supervisor race. The lawsuit alleges that Zappala made derogatory comments about Valentine and his supporters, and that she tried to undermine his campaign by spreading false information about him.

The lawsuit also claims that Zappala retaliated against Batista-Perez by denying her requests for time off to attend political events and by refusing to give her the same opportunities for advancement as other employees. The lawsuit alleges that these actions constituted discrimination and retaliation against Batista-Perez's political beliefs.

The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, lost wages, and other losses suffered by Batista-Perez as a result of Zappala's actions. It also seeks an injunction to prevent Zappala from continuing to discriminate against Batista-Perez or any other employees based on their political beliefs.

It is worth noting that the lawsuit was filed after the election, and it is unclear whether it will have any impact on the outcome of the supervisor race. However, the allegations made in the lawsuit could have wider implications for the Republican Party in Chester and beyond, as they raise questions about the extent to which political beliefs can be used to discriminate against employees.