Comments:
In the last two years, the School Ethics Commission
found probable cause for ethics violations by multiple Board members. At least three complaints have been taken
over by attorneys for the SEC and are moving forward. More complaints are pending.
The Board has too many conflicts of interest. Board
members vote on contracts for their own children and spouses. Board members that are employed in the Lodi
Borough Hall negotiate contracts for members of the Mayor and Council that are
employed in our schools. They negotiate each others' contracts during the same time period. The Board constantly uses "Doctrine of Necessity" as
a way of legalizing its corruption. The Board often misuses "Doctrine of
Necessity" and submits dishonest Resolutions to the SEC so it can have
members with conflicts of interest negotiating contracts when enough members
without conflicts are available.
The Board does not operate as a whole. The Board (under complete control of the
Superintendent) usually selects the youngest, least experienced Board member to
be Board President. The Superintendent
and his Board Attorney use the Board President to take official action on
behalf of the full Board without Board discussion. A few weeks ago, the Board President emailed Board
members that he was declining a settlement offer (pending litigation) on behalf
of the whole Board without any Board discussion. The Board Attorney did not
inform the Board of the settlement offer which was in her possession for
weeks. The Board President emailed the Board
about the action he intended on taking the day before a response was to be
submitted for the settlement offer.
The Board President with conflicts of interest selects
negotiation committees without any Board discussion or approval. The Board does not discuss or set any
pre-negotiation parameters. The Board
President refuses to update other Board members during negotiations. Contracts are dumped on the steps of Board
members the night before they are to be approved so any fair Board members
don't have adequate time to review or question them.
