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Board votes to authorize filing with School Ethics Commission after revote
Summary
The Watchung Borough Board of Education approved a resolution directing the board president to file a complaint with the New Jersey School Ethics Commission concerning alleged actions or statements by a board member; the measure passed by roll call with six yes votes, one no and one abstention.
The Watchung Borough Board of Education on Thursday approved a resolution directing the board president, with the assistance of special counsel, to file an appropriate complaint with the New Jersey School Ethics Commission regarding alleged actions and statements by a board member.
The resolution reiterated that the intention was not to determine guilt or innocence at the board level but to refer the matter to the ethics body that can weigh evidence and testimony. The resolution cites the board's duty to protect the integrity of its operations and references the School Ethics Act and related statutes as the authority for filing a complaint.
During discussion a board member confirmed the motion was unchanged from one considered several months earlier and that the revote was needed because members who should have abstained during the earlier vote had not done so. On roll call the motion passed with six yes votes, one no vote and one abstention.
A member of the public who called in from Elenor Drive asked for specifics about the alleged ethics violation; the board provided no further comment during the session. The administration declined to elaborate in public on the underlying details at the meeting.
The resolution authorizes the board president to proceed with filing and to consult the board's special counsel as necessary. The filing will move the matter to the New Jersey School Ethics Commission for review and determination.
