TRR photo by Tom Kane Richard Castellano speaks to Town Justice Ralph Huebner during the court hearing regarding a suit filed by Mimi Black against the Narrowsburg Internation Independent Film Festival. Jocelyne Castallano (back left) and Black (foreground) look on. (Click for larger image)

Countercharges filed

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG - Charges and counter charges were hurled back and forth in Tusten Town Justice Ralph Huebner's court last Friday as a former employee of the Narrowsburg International Independent Film Festival (NIIFF) sued her former employers for back pay in small claims court.

Meme Black, of Swiss Hill Road in Jeffersonville, claimed that Richard and Jocelyn Castellano still owed her $1,000 in back pay and other reimbursables. Denying her allegation, the employers in turn sued her for defamation of character. Jocelyn is the Executive Director of the festival and Richard is a co-founder.

NIIFF produced a widely acclaimed film festival in Narrowsburg and surrounding confines last summer. A second festival is planned for August.

Black worked for NIIFF from February 1, 2000 until March 28 when she was fired.

In the counter charge, the Castellanos claimed that Black made numerous phone calls to film festival suppliers, vendors and friends stating that the Castellanos had run out of money.

"I'm not an accountant," Richard Castellano admitted. "We spent over $1 million in Narrowsburg with the festival and the film we shot [Four Deadly Reasons], so I did fall behind on payments to some people but I'm correcting all that."

"All our employees got paid," Jocelyn said. "Sometimes we were a little late, but everyone was paid."

Black denied the charge of defamation, admitting that she did call auto dealer Robert Green in Monticello in a moment of peek. "I regret having done that," she said. None other of her phone calls were defamatory, she said.

The Castellanos disagreed, stating that numerous people called them about the defamatory nature of Black's phone calls.

"I've worked hard to have a good reputation in this town," Jocelyn said. "She has been attempting to undermine all the good things that I have done."

Jocelyn pointed out to Huebner certain discrepancies between Black's vouchers and the festival's records. "She put down hours on the voucher which she had not worked," Jocelyn said. Again, Black denied the allegation. "Everything they have said is a lie," Black said.

A further controversy arose over the number of hours a week Black had to work.

"She knew that she was not to work more than ten hours a week without permission," Jocelyn said. Black denied any such agreement, telling the judge that she often worked far more than ten hours a week and that Jocelyn was aware of it.

Jocelyn claimed that at one point she had put cash aside in an envelope and gave it to her secretary who was to phone Black to come and get it. "[Black] refused because I was not giving it to her personally but through my secretary," Jocelyn said.

Jocelyn said Black used abusive language in speaking to the secretary and other staff. Black made no comment.

Huebner made no ruling but told the two parties he would announce his ruling by mail later this week.

In other court matters, the criminal case of Nober vs Detch-an alleged assault of Narrowsburg basketball player Bruce Nober by Delaware Valley basketball player Ian Detch-was postponed by the court after a request by the defense counsel, seeking more time to prepare. The new date of the trial is 10:30 a.m. on June 23, before Justice Huebner.