City of Englewood Agrees to $1.5M Settlement in After-School Negligence Lawsuit
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
ENGLEWOOD, NJ — The City of Englewood will pay nearly $1.5 million to settle a high-profile negligence lawsuit involving the improper hiring of an after-school program aide later charged with the sexual assault of a 9-year-old child.
On July 22, a Superior Court judge approved a $1,575,000 settlement awarded to the victim and her mother. The lawsuit named both the City of Englewood and former Parks and Recreation Director Merle Simons as defendants.
Nepotism and Lack of Background Checks Alleged
The legal action, initially filed in April 2025, stemmed from the hiring of Johnathan Jones as an after-school program aide. According to court filings, Simons hired Jones—who was a relative—without conducting a formal hiring process or a background check.
The lawsuit alleged that city officials should have known Jones posed a risk to children in his care due to unaddressed mental health factors. The victim suffered severe, permanent emotional, psychological, and physical harm following assaults that occurred between October and November 2023.
Jones was arrested in December 2023 and faces charges of:
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First-degree aggravated sexual assault
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Second-degree sexual assault by sexual contact
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Second-degree endangering the welfare of a child
Court documents note that Jones has not yet been deemed competent to stand trial. He is scheduled for a discretionary conference in state Superior Court in Hackensack on August 3 at 9:00 a.m.
Settlement Breakdown & Distribution
Under the terms of the settlement, Englewood has 30 days from July 30 to execute the payments:
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$1,168,630.79: Allocated into a trust fund for the young victim.
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$406,369.21: Awarded for attorney fees and legal expenses associated with the lawsuit.
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$100,000: Awarded directly to the victim’s mother, with an additional $25,000 allocated for legal fees.
“Cases like this are why I have dedicated my career to fighting for people who have been harmed. I hope that the closing of this chapter will help our client’s healing process.”
— Eva Zelson, Attorney for the Plaintiffs
Representatives for Englewood and former city officials did not immediately comment on the final agreement.
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