Popular beach town descends into civil war as locals BAN ‘unruly’ teenagers from attending weekly summer parties at bar

A political “witch hunt” is behind the effort to end “teen nights” at a Long Beach Island resort. The witch hunt is headed to court after the bar owner claims he has launched an election campaign among his young customers.

Since 1989, the weekly summer parties have been held at the Marlin Restaurant and Bar on Long Island, New Jersey.

But council members refused to renew the permit in June after the city’s police chief said the line of teenagers outside the venue had become “excessive.”

Bar owner Michael Battista is a former commissioner and mayor of the resort and claims his successors are violating the freedom of speech and the right to freedom of expression of his young customers.

“Taxpayers should be furious about the money the council is going to spend defending a bad decision to ban teen nights,” he said.

Beach Haven police chief said the teens in the lines were now “out of control”

Beach Haven Police Chief James Markoski told council members his department doesn’t have the resources to police the city and manage the lines of teenagers who fight, destroy property and “think it’s a joke” when police intervene.

“I’m not against teen nights, they had their uses, but at this point it’s just gotten out of hand,” he said.

“It’s a matter of public safety.”

Council members voted 3-2 to deny the license, with Batista lambasting the “witch hunt” and “selective enforcement,” citing unlicensed establishments that “draw hordes of teenagers on weekend nights, and where patrons, like bar patrons, spill out onto the sidewalk en masse.”

He also claimed that Councilwoman Colleen Lambert cast the deciding vote, as he voted against her appointment as mayor last January.

“If there was such a problem, why wasn’t it raised in the off-season when we had time to discuss it and hopefully find a solution?” he said.

‘And now they’re throwing it in again just before the summer.’

“I’m not surprised,” Lambert said sandpaper.net.

“The truth is, as I’ve said publicly on numerous occasions, I never thought teen nights were a good idea. I only supported them because our police department did.

“When our chief said he no longer felt they were beneficial to the city, I agreed. And of course, so did two other council members.”

Battista launched a voter education program earlier this year, which Teens line up to click on a QR code that takes them to a petition asking them to vote in the November presidential election.

Leaflets were handed out in the bar with more information on how to vote.

The teen nights previously made headlines in August 2021, when they were suspected to be the source of at least 20 cases of COVID-19.

But an announcement of the closure on the bar Instagram page brought protests from teenagers who said they had traveled from as far away as Turkey and Russia to attend, and warnings that the move would be counterproductive.

“Some people don’t like the idea of ​​having us all in one place, but it’s safe and a good place to have fun and talk to people,” said Sophia Im, 17.

“It’s no different than people going to the beach and hanging out there.”

“It’s very social and you definitely make new friends,” added Kayla Clinton (16).

The venue has been hosting teen nights since 1989, but is now open to all ages

Some of the club’s teenage fans said they had travelled from far and wide, including Turkey and Russia, to attend the match.

“If it were abolished, I think it would stop teenagers from meeting new people. And a teen night helps us not to have the same routine every day: going to the beach and shopping.”

The Ocean County Superior Court must rule on Battista’s lawsuit after a federal judge in New Jersey sent the case back for trial.

Meanwhile, Battista has opened his teen nights to customers of all ages in an attempt to circumvent the ban.

“The city’s actions violate several articles of the United States Constitution,” he said.

‘These are the right to assembly, the right to freedom of expression and the right to non-discrimination.

“It is a safe, supervised event where minors can socialize with their friends, make new friends and enjoy the summer of their dreams.”