Jim Thorpe Borough Council unanimously voted Thursday night to censure one of its members and strip her of all committee appointments.

Jessica Crowley, a councilwoman in the middle of a four-year term, was removed as chairperson of the borough’s water committee and from her roles as a member of Jim Thorpe’s shade tree commission, Silk Mill Run restoration committee, emergency services committee, and sewer and sanitation committee. She also lost her title as borough representative to the Dimmick Memorial Library Board.

“The continued negative, unfounded and unilateral actions taken by Councilwoman Crowley have hindered the ability of council to provide efficient and effective services to its residents,” Council President Greg Strubinger said, reading from the censure resolution. “Her actions created a hostile work environment and placed in jeopardy the ability of the borough to secure grant funding. The unprofessional, inflammatory and reckless behavior of Councilwoman Crowley potentially puts the safety of council members and borough staff at risk.”

By the time council voted on the censure resolution well over three hours into the meeting, Crowley had left, but earlier in the evening she said the pending action was “an attempt to tell her what to do in her personal life and tone police her.”

The resolution outlines multiple reasons for the censure recommendation including Crowley’s attendance at council meetings and social media posts.

According to Strubinger, Crowley attended 20 of 31 council meetings and one of two water committee meetings in 2022, and two of five Silk Mill Run restoration committee meetings.

“The fact that members of council refuse to accommodate any of my scheduling needs as a single mother with a disabled child is not on me, that is on the people who won’t compromise,” Crowley said. “I am the only councilperson who spent hours on the phone with federal agencies learning about water legislation for our large scale water extraction ordinance, as well as the dam removal project. I’m a superb water chair and you pretending like I haven’t done anything is not going to make it true.”

The borough’s social media policy, Strubinger said, prohibits the posting of anything that might discredit the professional reputation of the borough, any of its employees or agents, or infringe on borough operations or its ability to provide efficient and effective services.

“Councilwoman Crowley produced and posted a video that appears to have a continuously raising middle finger,” while criticisms of police flashes across the screen, the resolution states. “She also produced a video of a violent and threatening nature in which she points fingers in a handgun firing motion toward the names of Councilmen Strubinger and (Mike) Yeastedt as their names appear on the screen, while gunfire and reloading noises appear in the background.”

Crowley said she’d like the borough to provide “receipts” for some of the items it alleges she did.

“Am I doing a TikTok dance that you don’t understand?” she said. “It is my first amendment right to post whatever I please online, barring what happens in executive session. You have no legal right to tell me what I can post.”

The resolution also alleges Crowley posted a statement on Facebook notifying the public that she filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office against Wildlands Conservancy and Jim Thorpe Borough for a fraudulent grant application.

Strubinger said Thursday that DCNR investigated the claim and did not make any finding of fraud.

Other accusations levied against Crowley included using her official borough email account to contact the Jim Thorpe School District Board of Education and demand a copy of an internal report concerning a school related incident.

Support for Crowley

Residents took their chance during the public comment portion of Thursday’s council meeting to voice support for Crowley.

“Councilwoman Crowley has been honest, up front and completely straightforward,” Amy Kubishin said. “She has researched complicated issues and informed the public of what is happening in our town. Her appearance and personal beliefs differ from most of our council members, but the one thing you all have in common is a love for our town. I hate to think we live in a town that could fall backward into discrimination and a veiled misogyny.”

Dee Reitz called Crowley a valued member of Jim Thorpe’s shade tree commission and viewed Thursday’s censure as a direct violation of her first amendment rights.

“By censuring her, you are creating a misogynistic atmosphere of yes men who think exactly like you do,” Reitz told council. “It’s sort of like a cult.

Former Jim Thorpe Councilman Curtis Jackson, who currently sits on the borough’s zoning hearing board, thanked Crowley for being different and for the energy she brings to the table.

“You have such talent and the youth you bring to council is so important,” Jackson said. “Try to find a little bit better message delivery is the only piece advice I would give, but I seriously hoped none of council would sign that paper tonight because it’s absolutely about the first amendment. Unless she did something criminal, the only thing left is that you don’t like what she’s saying.”