NORTHERN VALLEY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING – REVISED LOCATION
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
ONLINE BOARD MEETING - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 7:30pm
Due to the state of emergency declared by the Governments of the State of New Jersey and the United States regarding COVID-19, the September 21, 2020 Board Meeting is being held via video conference. The Board Meeting may be viewed live via the District’s website at www.nvnet.org. Members of the public may remotely access and provide written public comments at this Board Meeting through Zoom, a remote video conferencing system. Specific instructions for accessing the Board Meeting and providing public comments will be posted to the front page of www.nvnet.org. All public written comments must include the sender’s full name and address and will be read aloud at the Board Meeting.
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Before the School Ethics Commission
Docket No.: T18-19
Resolution of Suspension
I/M/O Peter Micera,
Northern Valley Regional Board of Education, Bergen County
Whereas, Peter Micera (Respondent) is a school official, as defined in the School Ethics Act (Act), serving as a Board member of the Northern Valley Regional Board of Education, located in Bergen County; and
Whereas, by decision dated May 19, 2020, the School Ethics Commission (Commission) found that Respondent failed to comply with the training mandate for the 2019 enforcement cycle (Governance 4) in violation of N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1; and
Whereas, the Commission recommended that the Commissioner of Education impose a penalty of removal, with such removal to become effective immediately upon adoption by the Commissioner of Education. However, if Respondent completed training before the Commissioner of Education adopted a final decision (which was forty-five (45) days after the Commission’s decision was mailed), then the Commission recommended that the Commissioner of Education, in lieu of removal, impose a thirty (30) day suspension, with such suspension to become effective immediately upon adoption by the Commissioner of Education; and
Whereas, Respondent completed training on May 22, 2020, which was after the issuance of the Commission’s decision but before the Commissioner of Education issued a final decision; and
Whereas, by decision dated June 30, 2020, and because Respondent completed training after the issuance of the Commission’s decision but before the Commissioner of Education issued a final decision, the Commissioner of Education concurred that a penalty of suspension for thirty (30) days was the appropriate penalty in the above-captioned matter; and
Whereas, N.J.A.C. 6A:28-10.12(d) provides that, for a penalty of censure, suspension or removal, a Resolution shall be adopted at the Commission’s next meeting following issuance of the Commissioner’s decision, and the Resolution shall be read at the next public meeting of the district board of education following its adoption, and shall be posted in such places as the board posts its public notices for thirty (30) days; and
Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Commission adopts this Resolution stating that Respondent is hereby SUSPENDED as a school official for thirty (30) days (from July 1, 2020, through July 31, 2020), as a penalty for having been found to have violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 of the Act, and its implementing regulation, namely N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1; and
Be It Further Resolved that the Northern Valley Regional Board of Education is ordered to read this Resolution at its next regularly scheduled public meeting following the Commission’s adoption on July 21, 2020, and to post it in such places as the Northern Valley Regional Board of Education posts its public notices for a period of thirty (30) days.
_______________________________
Robert W. Bender, Chairperson School Ethics Commission
I hereby certify that the above Resolution
was adopted at the July 21, 2020,
meeting of the School Ethics Commission.
________________________________________
Kathryn A. Whalen, Director
School Ethics Commission