A local resident has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead and its Town Attorney, John L. Maccarone, alleging retaliation and constitutional violations.
The complaint states that Blake faced retaliatory actions after exercising her First Amendment rights by criticizing the operations of the Town’s Animal Shelter. For nearly a decade, she had participated in the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program to help manage the feral cat population. Following her comments at a Town Board meeting in February 2025 regarding shelter practices, including excessive ear-tipping of feral cats and operational inefficiencies, she was banned from all town properties without a hearing.
Blake alleges that this action reflected a broader practice of retaliation against critics of the Animal Shelter. The complaint cites a prior case, Madden v. Town of Hempstead (2010), in which volunteers were banned after reporting animal abuse. Although that case settled with an agreement to support the TNR program, Blake claims the Town continued to silence critics through bans and intimidation.
The lawsuit further accuses Maccarone of authoring a letter dated April 9, 2025, banning her from town facilities under threat of arrest without prior investigation or due process. Similar letters were reportedly sent to other advocates, suggesting a coordinated effort to suppress criticism.
Blake seeks relief under causes of action including First Amendment retaliation and procedural due process violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. She is requesting compensatory damages totaling $18 million, as well as declaratory judgments and permanent injunctions to prevent enforcement of the bans.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Joshua B. Hecht of Sunshine Isaacson & Hecht LLP. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case ID number 2:25-cv-04448.