The Newark Fire Director who has been under investigation by the Union and Essex County Prosecutor’s offices is once again in media headlines.
According to a memo signed by Fire Chief John Centanni on Nov. 4, James Stewart appointed Tawan Baxter - Stewart son’s fiancé who was hired as chief clerk on Aug. 24 - to fill-in as acting fire director while he takes a vacation this week.
According to department officials, Baxter is qualified to temporarily take over for Stewart but when asked about any personal connections between Baxter and Stewart, the department administrators declined to comment.
Since December 2013, Stewart has faced discrimination claims including earlier this year, when union officials allegedly presented a favoritism complaint. Just last year in July, as part of an investigation of one of the members from the Environmental Dumping Task Force, the Union County Prosecutor's Office seized documents from Stewart’s office as part of the investigation.
No charges or indictments have been filed.