Woodstock maintenance worker Michael Innello’s attorney has sent more cease-and-desist letters in an ongoing attempt to silence those opposed to her client’s employment. Alan Weber, a vocal critic of town supervisor Bill McKenna, received a letter, as did McKenna’s neighbor Lisa Vianello and concerned parent Cass Speck. All three had signed a letter from town-board candidate Laurie Osmond demanding Innello’s job termination.
Osmond received a follow-up to an August 22 cease-and-desist letter. The new communication noted social media posts that are still active and gave her ten days to comply.
Weber, who is also part of the advocacy group Woodstockers United for Change, has been vocal about the hiring and continued employment of Innello, a Level 3 sex offender. He declined to comment on the attorney’s letter but did confirm receiving it.
Lisa Vianello, a longtime next-door neighbor to McKenna on Hutchin Hill Road, used to be his friend and supporter. She has been a vocal opponent of Innello’s employment and has been posting on social media about it, including a change.org petition to remove Innello.
She suspects corruption or some reason other than wanting to give Innello a second chance. “This is his hill to die on,” she said of McKenna’s insistence on keeping Innello employed despite attempts by the town-board majority to remove him.
“I certainly won’t be paying any mind to intimidation tactics,” said Speck, a parent and vocal opponent of Innello’s employment.
Longtime resident Jacqué Manganaro did not receive a letter, but said that McKenna called the police on her for posting videos about Innello from the group New York State Pedophile Alert. Two of those videos were extremely critical of McKenna, and one even accused him of having an affair with his secretary, Melanie Marino, who recently wrote a Point of View about Innello.
The letters from employment attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal, nearly identical to the one sent to Osmond, demand the removal of defamatory content from social media platforms and the ceasing of communications containing false allegations about her client to town-board members, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and media outlets.
The town board attempted to terminate Innello in a July 23 resolution. Though the resolution passed 3-0 with McKenna and Laura Ricci abstaining, McKenna insisted it was illegal and refused to sign and forward the civil-service paperwork to remove Innello from the town roster. On August 4, councilmembers Anula Courtis and Bennet Ratcliff hand-delivered the required change form to the county personnel department, and he was removed immediately.
Citing a two-sentence email from the CWA on August 8, the union representing Innello, McKenna filed the same change form to have the worker reinstated. He was back to work by August 13.
The next day, a town resident complained about Innello operating a weed trimmer in the small grassy area by the Route 375 bridge over the Millstream, less than 1000 feet from Woodstock Elementary School and its playground. Innello’s parole officer, Veronica Ahumada, through emails to McKenna, said he was only barred from loitering near children and living near schools. Ahumada has not returned requests for comment.
McKenna has blamed the other members of the town board for not doing their due diligence when Innello came up for hire, first in March as a part-timer and then in June when he was promoted to full-time. Since then, the councilmembers have scrutinized hiring or promotion recommendations in minute detail. The board tabled promoting deputy clerk Michele Sehwerert, a long-time town employee. because it wanted more information on her duties. More recently, it delayed the hiring of Ada Helm for court clerk, citing incomplete background check paperwork.
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