Paterson law director Khalifah Shabazz leaving Sayegh administration
By Jayed Rahman
Published: July 25, 2019
After serving 13 months as the city’s corporation counsel, Khalifah Shabazz is leaving mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration.
Shabazz confirmed her departure on Tuesday night.
“I was here just to help the transition,” said Shabazz. “That’s what I always wanted to do. It was kind of interesting. It wasn’t long-term.”
Shabazz would not say when she expected to leave her post. She deferred to mayor Andre Sayegh.
Sayegh did not respond to a call for comment on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday evening, Sayegh wouldn’t say when Shabazz is leaving or who is to be her replacement at City Hall. He said his administration will issue a statement on the law director’s departure.
During her brief tenure, Shabazz received praise from some members of the City Council. She also found herself in a Sayegh administration scandal, where many administration officials were failing to properly record their time in and time out of work using the city’s biometric system.
Shabazz previously worked as corporation counsel in East orange. She worked in the Trial Bureau of the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. She has her own law practice in Newark that handles personal injury and municipal litigation.
She is one of a dozen people competing for the general counsel job at the Board of Education in Paterson. She is among the top two contenders for the job, according to school district sources.
“Interviews for the position concluded on Friday,” said Paul Brubaker, spokesman for the Paterson Public Schools on Monday. “No decisions or offers have been made.”
Shabazz’s salary was $122,000 at the city. The school district’s general counsel salary ranges from $150,000 to $175,000.
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