East Brunswick board passes no-confidence vote in president amid dispute over superintendent transition

The East Brunswick Board of Education voted on a motion of no confidence in Board President Heather Gloss after an extended public discussion about communication and the handling of the district's superintendent transition.

The motion to consider a vote of no confidence was introduced by a board member as "a statement that we are dissatisfied with your leadership," and seconded by another trustee, leading to more than an hour of debate in open session. Members said they received districtwide emails and public announcements without consistent board-wide notice and described gaps in information during the onboarding of the incoming superintendent.

"There has been difficulties in communication and transparency," the board member who moved the motion said, adding that emails sent to the community and district staff "were received by parents and not by board members." President Gloss acknowledged the volume of email and detailed efforts she said she had made to track and respond to correspondence, saying she had worked to "create some kind of spreadsheet so that I could keep better track" of requests and follow-ups.

Multiple trustees told the meeting they were motivated by a desire to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming superintendent. "We need this to be as seamless as possible," a committee member said, urging better alignment and more frequent updates during onboarding. Another board member said the issue was not personal: "This is a matter of making sure that Dr. Mamman is set up for success."

After public debate and a roll-call vote, the motion to express no confidence carried. The official roll call recorded at the meeting was: Anna Brown — yes; Timothy Cummings — abstain; Jamie Falco — yes; Louis Figueroa — yes; Lori Herrick — yes (abstained on a separate item earlier); Lee Wu Hung — yes; Wilbur Pan — yes; Mary Ann Tanius — yes; Heather Gloss — no. The motion carried by the recorded votes. The board's legal counsel reminded members that a vote of no confidence is a public statement of dissatisfaction and that removing a board president would require demonstration of specific statutory violations and a different legal process.

Board members said the goal of the motion was to press for improved internal protocols rather than immediate disciplinary action. Several trustees called for a clear communication protocol, more frequent updates during transition periods and a follow-up closed-session discussion scheduled for the board to consider operational steps.

Next steps included a planned closed session that the board scheduled at the end of the public meeting to discuss matters related to the transition and governance; members said they would return with concrete suggestions for a communication protocol and onboarding plan for the new superintendent.