Discrimination Lawsuit Involving Long Island Town and Controversial Expert

A town in Long Island is currently facing a federal discrimination lawsuit and has hired a traffic expert whose views on Muslims are openly hostile. This situation is compounded by allegations that he mistreated a colleague and crafted a dubious traffic study around a local mosque, according to court documents.

Jeffrey Buchholz, during a pretrial deposition on October 3, referred to himself as a “bigot” amidst an ongoing legal dispute between the Town of Oyster Bay and a Long Island Muslim organization looking to expand a mosque in Bethpage.

The lawyers for the Muslim organization, known as MOLI, scrutinized Buchholz’s LinkedIn profile and discovered numerous anti-Muslim and racist posts. They brought him in for a deposition last week where he stood by his discriminatory views.

Buchholz stated, “Maybe that makes me a bigot, but that’s okay,” when discussing his opinions on Muslims and immigrants, as recorded in the deposition transcript.

His social media activity included a controversial post that garnered likes on a comment suggesting, “Muslims can quit.” Additionally, he reacted negatively to Mayor Eric Adams’ declaration recognizing the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, asserting that, “They want to conquer us,” and made a facetious remark regarding immigrants, according to the court documents and social media screenshots.

Despite the backlash, Buchholz chose to defend his online remarks in the deposition.

He expressed opposition to what he terms the “importation of outside cultures” into the U.S., calling it a “Christian nation,” and described the Islamic call to prayer as “atrocious.” Furthermore, he claimed that a New York mayoral candidate, Zoran Mamdani, posed a more serious threat to the city than the 9/11 hijackers.

Buchholz’s critical traffic analysis was primarily based on Google Maps and a brief five-minute site visit before he filed his report, as the records indicate.

When asked about the lack of a thorough traffic study or actual data in his analysis, he responded, “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I know what I’m looking at. Google Maps and experience speak for themselves.” He simply relied on “common sense” to conclude that the mosque’s location presented “significant road safety issues.”

However, the lawyers for MOLI pointed out that extensive traffic and parking studies done by the town’s own engineers and Nassau County officials had already deemed the mosque’s expansion plans safe and compliant, directly opposing the claims Buchholz later echoed in his report.

Now, MOLI’s attorneys are requesting that a judge dismiss Buchholz’s report completely and prohibit him from testifying, arguing that his analysis is irreparably biased and fabricated.

A lawyer for MOLI criticized Buchholz’s testimony, describing it as unreliable and dangerously influenced by bias, while also drawing attention to his violent history, which raises concerns about his credibility.

Documents obtained reveal a longstanding pattern of violent incidents involving Buchholz, including an expulsion from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for assaulting a classmate and a ban from state contracts in Florida due to violent behavior towards colleagues.

Court records suggest that judges have consistently noted his violent temper and abusive conduct throughout his history.

In response to inquiries, Buchholz claimed through an email that his personal views do not compromise his professional work quality.

Earlier this year, the Town of Oyster Bay admitted in court to passing a law that specifically targeted mosques with deceptive practices, including falsifying testimonies. Despite this, the town has backed Buchholz and denounced MOLI’s efforts to dismiss his testimony as a politically motivated attack by an overseas law firm.

The Town Attorney, Frank Scalera, criticized the introduction of political topics, stating, “President Trump’s name, immigration policy, and core American values are being dragged into depositions and background checks, proving that political beliefs are driving this frivolous case. That’s wrong!”

This case, initially expected to reach a resolution, has escalated significantly, particularly with the Justice Department’s involvement, as both sides prepare for a protracted conflict ahead.