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Bitter END: Hunterdon Custodian Fired Over $20 Christmas Candy Fights Back With Lawsuit

A former Hunterdon County middle school custodian is suing the district after being fired over what he's describing as a misunderstanding.

Peter Marro, 58, of Flemington was fired from Readington Middle School in Dec. 2017 after he brought a $20 box of candy from the maintenance room to his car - a box that he thought was an end-of-year “thank you” gift.

Peter Marro, 58, of Flemington was fired from Readington Middle School in Dec. 2017 after he brought a $20 box of candy from the maintenance room to his car - a box that he thought was an end-of-year “thank you” gift.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Peter Marro, 58, of Flemington, was fired from Readington Middle School in Dec. 2017 after he brought a $20 box of candy from the maintenance room to his car -- a box that he thought was an end-of-year thank you gift, NJ.com reports.

About 20 minutes later, Marro was called to the main office for a meeting with the principal, vice principal, maintenance supervisor and two police officers, the report says.

Although Marro insisted he hadn't stolen anything and maintained he thought the candy was a gift, he was ultimately fired by authorities who said the security cameras caught him loading the candy into his car.

The custodian said he was escorted out of the school by police officers, who handcuffed him, transported him to headquarters and fingerprinted him.

Marro was charged with theft by unlawful taking of movable property valued less than $200 on Dec. 19, 2017, and the charges were dismissed in late February, reports say.

But the damage has been done.

A quick Google search of his name brings up his initial charges, which have reportedly "overshadowed" his work experience and affected Marro's ability to find employment, the suit says.

Marro’s suit, filed at Hunterdon County Superior Court on Dec. 23, seeks unspecified general, punitive and aggravated damages, which include past, present and future lost wages, reports say.

He previously filed a suit for the same incident last year, but it was dismissed in state Superior Court in Hunterdon County.

Click here for more from NJ.com.

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