JustASC

Bad luck for the Bayonne JCC:

The director of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Bayonne said yesterday the organization had nothing to do with the alleged bad behavior that led cops to arrest two people at the facility early Sunday.

Ellen F. Goldberg, executive director of the center, said she was unaware of the incident until Tuesday afternoon when she was contacted by The Jersey Journal.

Sunday morning at about 12:20 a.m., police arrested Michael Pillay, 23, of Bloomfield, when he wouldn’t allow officers into the center’s auditorium to investigate reports of underage drinking, according to police reports.

A struggle ensued when Kimberly Joseph, 21, of the Bronx, grabbed an officer who was trying to handcuff Pillay, police reports said.

Police pepper-sprayed Joseph and charged her with obstructing government functions and resisting arrest; and Pillay was charged with harassment and disorderly conduct, reports said. Both were released on summonses.

Goldberg said the center is not responsible for what happened because the center that night was rented to an outside group.

“This was a rental situation and not part of JCC management,” said Goldberg, emphasizing that police found no indication of underage drinking.

“The person we rented to was certainly in his 30s,” said Goldberg, who believes the gathering was birthday party.

Goldberg said the event was scheduled for Saturday night, 8 p.m. to midnight.

“I feel badly for the center because it’s a wonderful place,” said Goldberg.