COUNT
1
Focus
on the money. It’s all going to Licata’s
employer and Licata’s “non-profit”.
Joseph
Licata solicits business for Jamie Ciofalo.
Licata collects the money generated by Jamie Ciofalo. Jamie Ciofalo was quoted in the Community
News (local newspaper) and on northjersey.com stating that half the money goes
to “Lodi Cares” and other half goes to the Club. Licata stated the same in his Motion to
Dismiss. In that certification,
Licata referenced “Lodi Cares” without ever disclosing that it was created by him
and Ciofalo about six months after they established “Educator’s Training
Institute”. Why?
“Lodi
Cares” is listed at Licata’s home address (42 Riverview Ave). Sending money to Licata’s home address is a
direct benefit to him no matter how you break it down. If he uses any of that money to enrich
himself, friends, or family (as he and Ciofalo did with Lodi Drug Alliance
funds), that is a direct benefit. If he
uses that money to award scholarships, that too is a direct benefit. It doesn’t hurt during election time to have
your picture in the Community News, given credit for money raised by a school
employee during the school day.
The
following quote was taken from northjersey.com dated July 9, 2015:
“"They come to the club to
receive the training. Half the money goes to LodiCARES, and the other half goes
to the club to help them off-set damages from the flooding. It’s a win-win.
People get training out of it, and it’s been a really positive
experience," said Ciofalo.”
From
the same article:
“Lodi CARES is an educational
foundation co-founded by Joe Licata, president of the Lodi Board of Education
and director at Boys & Girls Club, and Jamie Ciofalo, head of guidance at
Lodi High School and a Boys & Girls Club board member.”
Follow
the time line.
On Ciofalo’s since edited LinkedIn page, he listed himself as
“Founder/Lead Presenter” of the “Educators Training Institute” (January 2014).
On
June 24, 2014, Licata and Ciofalo officially established their non-profit “Lodi
Cares” at Licata’s home address so money from the workshops can be sent there.
Joseph
Licata voted to make one of Mr. Quatrone’s merit bonus goals for the 2014-15
school year the following: “Increase
professional development opportunities for all staff (certificated and
noncertificated) by creating a local Professional Development Academy that will
provide instructional and non-instructional training programs to Lodi staff at
no expense to the Board of Education.”
Joseph Licata voted that Mr. Quatrone attained this goal at the May 27,
2015 meeting. Licata benefitted
financially from this arrangement as outlined above.
Why
would Mr. Licata set a merit goal for something already established during the
prior school year? He
is using his position and influence to guarantee that Mr. Quatrone receives a
$25,108 bonus each year, despite how poorly the Lodi schools perform. As you can see in Count 4, Licata has placed
Jamie Ciofalo at the center of all five merit goals voted on during the August
26, 2015 meeting to ensure those goals’ attainment.
COUNT
4
Since the Superintendent
pay cap went into effect in 2011, Joseph Licata always took part in setting Mr.
Quatrone’s merit bonus goals and always voted that those goals were attained. Mr. Quatrone always received a $25,108 merit
bonus approved by Joe Licata. Doctrine
of Necessity was never invoked.
That changed this past week.
The Board agenda for May 25, 2016 contains a Resolution for Doctrine of
Necessity being invoked to award Mr. Quatrone his bonus. If Doctrine of Necessity is being used this
year, why wasn’t it used last year or any prior years when dealing with the
Superintendent’s merit bonus?
In their Motion to Dismiss, Ms. Varano stated numerous times
that the invocation of “Doctrine of Necessity” allowed Licata to approve the
Superintendent’s merit goals. Ms. Varano
included the August 26, 2015 minutes in that same packet. Doctrine of Necessity was never invoked in
this matter.
Licata placed Jamie Ciofalo at the center of all five
merit goals. Please refer to the
August 26, 2105 minutes that Ms. Varano provided. Repeated over and over for each plan: “Meet with the district’s Supervisor of
Guidance” and “Meet with the Supervisor of Curriculum, Instruction, &
Guidance”. Jamie Ciofalo holds both
titles. Licata should recuse himself
from matters involving Ciofalo because of their personal and professional
relationships. Licata should recuse
himself from matters involving the Superintendent’s compensation because of the
Superintendent’s favorable actions towards Licata’s mother and wife while
receiving his annual $25,108 merit bonus.
PROFESSIONAL
AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RESPONDENT AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
Attached
are many past posts that can shed light on the relationship between the
respondent and the school administrator.
I attained information in these posts through OPRA requests and from
business websites belonging to Jamie Ciofalo.
Post date: August 29, 2016
Post date: August 29, 2016
