TOMS RIVER – The Toms River Board of Education approved one member to file a complaint against another to the School Ethics Commission.
The board member in question was not named publicly. A special meeting was held just for a private discussion among board members. Then the board voted 6-1 to allow board President Russell Corby to bring up “ethical violations” of the unnamed member to the School Ethics Commission.
The resolution states that Corby has “personal knowledge of the complaint and believes it is necessary to bring this Board member’s ethical violations to the attention of the School Ethics Commission.”
The resolution mentions statute N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24, which is in reference to conflicts of interest.
The resolution authorizes a special counsel to prosecute a complaint against the board member on behalf of Corby, and to represent him in the complaint.
In a phone interview following the meeting, Corby said that putting this in the hands of an independent body, the School Ethics Commission, will leave the board with more time to focus on more important issues. The district is facing a possible loss in state aid, and they are on the cusp of a rebuilding strategy that would make improvements to every school in the district.
According to its web site, the School Ethics Commission is a nine-member body appointed by the governor. They review and investigate complaints. Usually, the nature of the complaint is kept private until the investigation is complete. Then, they render an opinion on the case, which is then made public.
