Couple Sues Town, Claiming Retaliation

A Huntington couple has filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of Huntington, claiming officials retaliated against them for their opposition to the Avalon Bay housing development.

Jennifer and John LaVertu say that the town harassed them through repeated summonses on their property, that they were held up to ridicule in postings online and that his plumbing license was threatened. They say the town's actions violate the U.S. Constitution's protection of free speech and other constitutional rights.

Contacted Friday night, town spokesman A.J. Carter said there was no comment because the town hadn't yet seen the lawsuit.

The Avalon project was initially rejected in 2010; the lawsuit claims that after the plaintiffs made a video challenging housing policies, the town struck back at them through its own video and through comments made on Facebook.  The Avalon project was approved by the Town Board on June 6, 2011; the next day, the lawsuit says, the plaintiffs were served with a summons about their property.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in Islip. The LaVertus are represented by Steven A. Morelli of Garden City.

The legal papers.