In defense of the NJ official who called an employee ‘stupid’

I read with interest an article on patch.com that reported Monmouth County Commissioner and Monmouth County SPCA Executive Director Ross Licitra’s decision not to seek re-election after a leaked audio recording captured him berating a shelter employee.

I listened to the recording of Licitra calling the employee “stupid” and “a nobody” during a dispute over the euthanasia of a dog. The recording sparked public backlash, protests, and calls for his removal, with critics condemning his tone and leadership style.

While Licitra later apologized for his remarks, he has remained in his role as executive director of the SPCA, and fellow commissioners did not move to remove him from office.

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What Ross Licitra said on that recording was harsh. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t something you’d hear in a management seminar. Calling someone stupid is not textbook leadership. But look at the other side for a minute.

We don’t know how that conversation started. We don’t know the tone the employee used. We don’t know if it was a respectful question or a confrontational challenge. Anyone who has dealt with animal activist personalities knows that sometimes emotion shows up first and respect shows up later.

And it's frustrating to be second-guessed or even challenged by a snot-nosed punk who thinks he knows more than you.

Animal shelter work is not a calm desk job. Euthanasia decisions are heartbreaking. They are complicated. They are not made lightly. The SPCA has a strong live-release and compassion record. And that’s what Licitra was trying to explain. That matters in this conversation.

There is also something called a chain of command. In any workplace, especially one dealing with life-and-death decisions, leadership makes the final call. If an employee pushes back in a way that feels insubordinate, tempers can flare.

Was the language rough? Yes.

Was it ideal? No.

Maybe the employee really deserved a smack and got a verbal smack instead.
But sometimes it’s just an ugly moment in a high-stress job. Not a moral collapse or the end of the world.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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