The top of page one article in today's edition features this passage:
In a May 2014 police report, Huff's wife Jennifer told the responding officer about what she feared was a pattern of harassment from Patrick Martucci, Jennifer Martucci's husband. On the day of the police call about a disturbance with her trash, she said that about a month prior, she had observed a vehicle drive slowly past her house. She said she waved to be friendly and the male driver, "started yelling at her, asking why she had removed (election) signs from the yard (across the street).
Those election signs, she said, had been for a campaign that Patrick Martucci supported. She said she felt threatened, so she went inside her house with her youngest child. According to the report, she told police that she saw the same vehicle the following day and she said Patrick Martucci was driving it.
Patrrck Martucci told the Turner Report that this was the first he had heard of it. "I was never contacted by the police."
Though C. J. Huff told KOAM/Fox 14 Monday night that the Martucci family had harassed him and his wife and that he was a husband first, Patrick Martucci said Huff has never called him.
"He has never contacted me to say anything about any harassment."
Martucci said that recently he was jogging when C. J. Huff drove by him and waved.
Apparently, Huff prefers to protect his wife and children by going to the media.
The accusations on Fox 14/KOAM appear to be a last desperate attempt by C. J. Huff to turn what started to be a campaign focusing on issues to a campaign focusing on C. J. Huff.
It began with Huff's Facebook attacks on Jennifer Martucci over the weekend, as he released part of a two-year-old e-mail message he received from her about her concerns with redistricting. Huff used the e-mail, which he said showed that Martucci was a snob who did not care about all of the district's children, in a blatant attempt to influence the election.
The reaction to the Facebook post was not what Huff had hoped as people were shocked that he would take to social media at such a late date in the campaign and felt what he did was unprofessional at the least. Martucci's tempered response to the Huff's post also added to the negative reaction to the superintendent.
With public sentiment seeming to be solidly against him, Huff played the wife and kids card, starting, in veiled terms in an Easter Sunday Facebook post that Martucci had harassed his wife and children.
When that heavy-handed broadside also failed, Huff ratcheted the attack another step Monday night, indicating to Fox 14/KOAM that his wife and children were having to cower in their home because they were afraid of the Martuccis.
What is there about strong women that scares C. J. Huff so much?
(Photo: C. J. Huff wears protective gear in case he sees any Martuccis.)
24 comments:
This is nothing short of appalling! Patrick Martucci is a respectable, honest man and he is most definitely NOT a bully! I have seen and heard Patrick stand up to bullies, and I am shocked and disgusted by this slander against him and his family! He was shouting from his car? I find that extremely difficult to believe. I have never known Patrick to be anything other than a calm, grounded, level-headed gentleman and to even suggest that he would do such a thing is a clear display of Huff's paranoia and willingness to do whatever he has to, legal or not, to further his own agenda and prolong his already quite worn-out welcome.
And seriously? You accuse a man of harassing you and being "out to get you" when all he's doing is just jogging through his neighborhood and trying to get some exercise. Maybe you should try some of that for yourself Mr. Stay Puft.
I hope he sues Huff's lying ass for this, it's about time somebody put him in his place.
I voted for Jennifer, Jeff Koch, and Lane Roberts this morning because we need to see change in the administration and get this petulant 2 year-old out of the system.
Sorry but I think Patrick did what is in the police report. Do I think the way Huff went about it was right? No, but I wouldn't put it past the Martucci's to do that. I do believe what Huff said is true, and I believe there are many that agree with him. Martucci is an elitist.
Well I do believe the Martucci's to be elitist but perhaps thats what we need. Someone needs to get this school in the right track. If she is "snobby" about things then I am sure, as a school board member, she will have some say in how to fix those things. We can't have people with their heads in the sand singing the glory and praises of this failing school system. Maybe an elitist is just what we need.
I have been around her at the little league ballpark and I know how she acts. I also feel that perhaps it could be a good thing for the district. Why wouldn't you want her to help turn things around.
It is interesting that if a police report was made and the police never contacted Martucci that they apparently did not feel that it had any merit. Interesting that it is the former chief of police, who could have read the possible report, would enter the school board race.
6:22 you make me laugh, you must have intimate knowledge of the police report. It sounds like even Patrick Martucci hasn't seen it, how would you know? And how do you know the Martucci's to know that they would harass someone? Look up the definition of harassment, it appears to many that the harassment is coming from the CJ Huff camp doesn't it?
I will say that I think it is inappropriate for a superintendent of schools to have any opinion about who is running for school board. That is the voters right to vote for they want. He should not be trying to influence it at all. That is a conflict of interest and should not be allowed.
Why does his Facebook page list him as a “public” figure? I think of congress, celebrities as public figures but the superintendent of Joplin use schools, no.
I would have been fired from my job if I had done so poorly. He had the world sending the district money, still he had to get tax increases to rebuild underinsured school buildings. Shouldn’t he have been fired rather than self heroized?
Obviously the police did not believe Patrick had done anything wrong or they would have at least contacted him.
6:22
Have you ever actually met the Martuccis? If you knew them you'd know that they are not "elitists." Yes, they have money, but just because somebody has money does not make them an elitist. They don't discriminate against anybody for SES or any other reason.
Fun fact: Removing political signs from a property without permission is a misdemeanor. It is against the law.
It was a Debbie Fort sign, and I'm sure we all know how Huff feels about her. From what I understand, the sign was put up in the lot across from Huff's house (with permission from the owner of the lot) the evening before, and it was gone the next morning. Who do you think did it? I'll give you one guess: Charles Huff. So not only have the Huffs committed a misdemeanor, but they have chosen to bring the "incident" up two years later and blow it all out of proportion to slander good people and sway the election. The Martuccis are not vindictive people; the Huffs are.
What really happened was Patrick was driving by to see what the deal was with the sign when Mrs. Huff waved to him from her front porch. He rolled down his window and calmly asked what had happened to the political sign in the lot across the street. She was the one who got defensive and angry, asking why he was inquiring and acting like she didn't know what he was talking about. Patrick explained that pulling up the sign like that could be a sign of vindictive behavior and she acted like he was accusing her and angrily responded, "Oh so you're saying I'm vindictive?!" and stormed into her house.
This is hardly what I'd call harassment on Patrick's part. Patrick said he was never contacted by Huff nor by Joplin police, and nobody said a word about it until now, TWO YEARS LATER while his wife is running for school board. Coincidence? I think NOT.
Patrick is an attorney, he knows the law and he knows that it is wrong to lie, in a court of law or otherwise. He is not an elitist, he is not a vindictive person, and he is not a liar. I have known the Martuccis for a long time and they are good people who care about education of ALL kids and care a lot about their community. Patrick is highly respected for his work, and whether you trust laywers or not he is a good person.
Maybe you should fact check for yourself and get both sides of it and see that Huff has a history of embellishing stories like this to make himself look like the victim when he is really the aggressor. I voted for Jennifer Martucci this morning, and I strongly encourage everyone who reads through this rather long comment to do the same and not believe Huff's lies.
I'm sorry you had to be brought into this Patrick. You and your family are good people and there are many who know that and respect you guys, and those that don't clearly haven't met you yet. You guys don't deserve this kind of backhanded slander.
Sigh. Jennifer and Patrick are not elitist. Patrick did not harass the Huffs (he barely knows them). Dr. Huff always personalizes his dilemmas when he feels threatened. At the end of this ordeal, Martucci will win (in part, thanks to Huff), Fort will ascend in power on the board, changes will be made, and it will be proven that the emperor has no clothes.
Why in the wide world of sports would someone go on the offensive against someone who is a few days later could be one of his bosses? Because Mr Charles J Huff sees himself as Caesar and he can rule his empire any way he sees fit. WRONG !! Intimidation will not work this time around Huff. You picked on the wrong person and when the election shows we all want change, you may be the next one out the door. Remember your job is in the hands of the Board of Education, not the other way around. Little guy Landis and Anne "NotsoSharp" cannot save you now. God Bless you Huff but I cannot wait to see the for sale sign in front of your expensive home. Please announce the open house so we can see what our tax dollars paid for.
Deflection = deception, what is Huff hiding that he is so afraid that could be uncovered if someone with resources, intelligence and community support becomes his boss? One of Martucci's first orders of business should be to start peeling the onion and find out what the big fuss from CJ is really all about.
If Huff is not smart enough to know you do not jack with a lawyer he is dumber than i thought.
Why is everybody always picking on me?
I did it, "For the kids." My kids that is.
My votes have been cast. Martucci, Koch and Roberts. So have the rest of my families, for the same people. 5 out of the 6 are first time BoE voters.
My vote is for Anne Sharp. And you're right 10:40 am, it is a beautiful home, unfortunately, you'll never see the inside of it. :)
You go Anne!
Sorry, but Martuccis comments about Jopkun North define who she truly is. She is not the answer...you don't just take back your comments because you run for the board. Those were her true feelings then and now and is a reflection of her character. Definitely did not vote for her. On the other hand, Huff has handled this entire situation horribly and the new board, whomever it is, should consider a change and putting him on leave. Unfortunately this situation will probably end in a buyout, another waste of taxpayer money.
Yeah, that's not my name moron.
Well you just never know. I may show up for the estate sale.
There is enough documentation for the BOE to terminate Huff's contract without any penalty. The BOE could also ask Huff to resign immediately citing that his spouse has taken a job elsewhere and he must resign to go with her,or something
like that.
It won't be for sale any time soon
I think 90% of the people on the school board are in it for a personal gain, not to help "ALL" the kids in the district. And someone needs to punch CJ Huff in his mouth and alot of his crap will stop almost immediately.
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