HILLSIDE, N.J. — Several residents at the Hillside Public School District board meeting on Oct. 14 urged the board to reconsider hiring practices after naming Anthony Salters, who they said had pleaded guilty earlier in the year.

Jackie Banks, a 40‑plus‑year resident, challenged the board to "reevaluate your decision in hiring this individual and do better for the students in Hillside," saying taxpayers deserve answers about hiring and spending. Other commenters said they wanted to know whether the position was properly advertised and whether the job application asked for criminal-history disclosures.

"I wanna know how, mister Hamlin, it is ethical for you to sit on this board when you were representing mister Salters as a criminal attorney," one speaker told the board, raising an allegation of possible conflict of interest tied to a board member's prior legal work.

Board counsel responded in the public forum, explaining the legal standard: he said convictions for a first- or second‑degree indictable offense can prohibit public employment, but that a misdemeanor or disorderly‑persons offense does not automatically bar employment unless it is directly related to the job. "The law does not prohibit someone with a misdemeanor or disorderly persons [offense] from working in a school district unless it involved their employment with the public school district," counsel said.

Several speakers said the hire had practical consequences: parents described positions unfilled in classrooms, homebound students served by other teachers, and frustration about how district funds are being used. One commenter alleged the district had $8.6 million in overexpenditures and asked why that money wasn’t visible in classrooms.

Superintendent Garland addressed procedural protections: the district conducts background checks and certification verifications and posts application materials; she said homebound instruction and staffing had been approved in prior board minutes and pledged to follow up on outstanding records and requests. Garland also said the district would ensure eligible students continue to receive home instruction and reiterated the district’s intent to document processes and supply additional data to the public.

The public-comments period produced no formal administrative action during the session; the board indicated it would continue follow-up and community engagement and move into a closed executive session later in the meeting.