A criminal justice professor is publicly demanding that Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill provide substantive answers to allegations of sexist and racist conduct in his political orbit, dismissing his promotion of endorsements from “over fifty trailblazing women” as a deflection.
Gill created a toxic, hostile environment as manager for Phil Murphy’s 2017 campaign, based on a variety of well-known and credible allegations by staffers who accused him of misogyny.
Satenik Margaryan, a Bloomfield resident who teaches at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University-Newark, issued a direct challenge to Gill’s campaign narrative.
“Endorsements from 50 women don’t cancel out credible reports of misogynistic slurs, and they don’t erase a racist noose case in Bloomfield,” Margaryan said. “If Brendan Gill wants to lead, he should answer hard questions about sexism and racism, not hide behind curated lists and campaign branding.”
Gill is locked in a tight three-way race for the Democratic nomination to succeed Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, with progressive champion Analilia Mejia and carpet-bagging congressional stock trader Tom Malinowski.
Margaryan, who immigrated from Armenia two decades ago, pointed to two specific, highly publicized issues.
First, a 2021 Bloomberg report in which Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky stated she was called “the C-word,” a sexist slur by Gill, while both worked on Murphy’s 2017 campaign. Gill was the campaign manager, but Roginsky got fired as a result of the dust-up.
Roginsky said Gill started retaliating against her after she reported that he was using his access to Murphy, whose candidacy was seen as almost certain to succeed, to solicit clients for a consulting firm that paid him $1.5 million.
Gill also failed to address the rape of Katie Brennan, a campaign volunteer, who accused Murphy staffer Al Alvarez of sexual assault during the gubernatorial race.
She was elected to the General Assembly in November, after she gained prominence following her allegations becoming public, leading to a lawsuit, a $1 million settlement at taxpayer expense, and calls for systemic reforms against sexual misconduct.
Margaryan also cited Gill’s link to the federal civil-rights lawsuit filed by Black Bloomfield firefighter Patrick Thomas, who alleges a persistently hostile work environment involving repeated noose incidents and racial slurs.
The lawsuit names the township, its fire leadership, and a fellow firefighter.
The professor highlighted a conflict in Gill’s curated endorsement list.
One of the “trailblazing women” featured is Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell, who leads the township that is a defendant in Thomas’s $25 million lawsuit.
“So my questions are simple,” Margaryan said. “Do you support Patrick Thomas in seeking justice in this federal lawsuit? Have you met with him or publicly called for accountability in Bloomfield? What concrete action are you taking beyond statements and photo ops?”
She continued, “And finally: are you still fully standing by and promoting Mayor Jenny Mundell’s endorsement on your ‘50 trailblazing women’ list while the township she leads is defending itself in a racist noose case brought by a Black firefighter?”
Gill’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the specific questions raised.
In past statements regarding the Roginsky allegation, Gill has said he does not recall the incident but has apologized for any offensive behavior.
Regarding the Bloomfield racism case, he has stated he believes “everyone deserves a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.”
The list of endorsements appears to be a classic political diversion: a wall of names meant to redirect the conversation from concrete allegations—about Gill’s misogynistic slur and the federal lawsuit—to a celebration of generalized support, thereby avoiding the hard questions of accountability and concrete action.
Several names hold official titles or party positions, suggesting a mobilization of the established political machinery enlisted as a shield, trading endorsements from officials and insiders to obscure the allegations and create a false image of vindication.
Margaryan’s critique frames the endorsements not as proof of character, but as a political tactic.
“These are not anonymous rumors,” she said of the allegations. “They’re on-the-record. A list of names is a campaign prop. Accountability is a public service.”