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NJSBA trainer tells Bound Brook board ‘we do not want you to get an ethics violation’ and reviews recusal rules
Summary
At its April 29 meeting, the Bound Brook Board of Education received an ethics presentation from Kathy Fourier of the New Jersey School Boards Association covering mandatory trainings, disclosure deadlines, recusal vs. abstention, advisory opinions and social‑media guidance.
Kathy Fourier, the New Jersey School Boards Association field service representative for Hunterdon and Somerset counties, told the Bound Brook Board of Education at its April 29 meeting that the School Ethics Act exists to maintain the public trust and that board members should take training and disclosure requirements seriously.
“We do not want you to get an ethics violation,” Fourier said during a roughly hour‑long presentation on school ethics and common pitfalls that can trigger complaints to the School Ethics Commission. She explained who may file complaints, the commission’s sanctions (reprimand, censure, suspension or removal) and the 180‑day filing window for alleged violations.
Fourier ran through the mandatory training schedule she said board members should follow (governance 1 for new members, governance 2 by year two, governance 3 by year three and legal updates in the first year of any subsequent term). She reminded members that financial disclosure statements are public and, for current members, are due April 30. “If you need legal advice … get that advice from your board attorney,” she said, noting that advisory opinions are available and sometimes released in redacted form to guide others.
The presentation included several case examples the presenter said illustrate how easy it can be to run afoul of the code: using a board email address to communicate about a parent volunteer group, leveraging board office time or position to promote a personal campaign or becoming personally involved in a personnel matter that usurps the superintendent’s authority. In one case Fourier described, a long‑serving board member was suspended for 60 days after taking personal action in a personnel dispute.
She clarified the distinction between abstention and recusal: abstaining can be appropriate when a member lacks sufficient information to vote; recusal is required when a member has a conflict of interest and should remove themselves from discussion and vote. Fourier also urged caution about volunteering inside schools, explaining that frequency and extent of contact with students or staff can create the appearance of improper influence. On social media she advised members to avoid posts that could be read as speaking for the board and to be careful using collective language such as “we.”
The presenter pointed board members to resources she provided (including advisory opinions and case digests) and encouraged them to consult the board’s attorney when situations are fact‑specific. The training concluded with an invitation to ask questions and a reminder that the School Ethics Commission — not NJSBA — enforces the act.
