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Mostly Cloudy Civil rights lawyer tapped
Supporters call city’s effort to oust Civil Service commissioner Wade unjust
A Long Beach Civil Service commissioner who was asked to resign amid charges that he rented illegal apartments and threatened City Manager Charles Theofan has retained veteran civil rights attorney Fred Brewington, who says his client is being unfairly targeted by the city.
Leary Wade, a commissioner with the city's Civil Service Commission since 2004, was asked to resign in August after he pleaded guilty in Long Beach City Court to several building code violations, including renting illegal basement apartments. Theofan said that the charges were serious enough for him to ask for Wade's resignation, at which point, according to Theofan, Wade threatened him, saying, "I'm going to get you or somebody close to you."
On Tuesday, Wade, who is known as a community leader in the North Park area, said he could not comment and referred questions to his attorney. Brewington questioned the grounds for Wade's removal by Theofan, who maintains that as a commissioner, Wade violated the city's charter and code of ordinances by owning and renting the illegal dwellings on East Market Street and East Hudson Street.
"We believe that Mr. Wade is being improperly accused and treated in this fashion ... and at the appropriate time we will make a public comment," Brewington said. Of the alleged threat against Theofan, he said, "We believe that the allegations are unsupported
factually."
A public hearing scheduled for Sept. 14 was adjourned at Wade's request as he moved to retain Brewington's services. The hearing, at which he will have the opportunity to present evidence and call witnesses, is expected to be rescheduled.
The embattled three-member Civil Service Commission is under investigation by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, after the state Civil Service Commission, in a report issued in March, criticized the city agency for failing to comply with laws and regulations for nearly a decade.
The move by the city to remove Wade drew nearly 100 of his supporters to the Sept. 7 City Council meeting, where many North Park residents accused Theofan of unfairly targeting Wade, part of what they said is a pattern of discrimination.
