Former BOE President Appealing Education Commissioner's Ruling

Former Brick Township Board of Education President Daniel Woska has filed paperwork to appeal a decision rendered by state education commissioner Chris Cerf to the Appellate Division of Superior Court.

A decision by the state School Ethcis Commission to reprimand Woska was upheld by Cerf in June and published in July.

The complaint against Woska was filed by former Interim Schools Superintendent Melindo A. Persi, who was suddenly ousted as superintendent at a reorganization meeting of the Board of Education where Woska was elected board president.

Persi alleged in his original complaint that Woska, who already sat on the board before the reorganizational meeting, unilaterally instructed the assistant board secretary to issue him a Rice notice, a notification given to a public employee whose employment status will be discussed at a meeting, when he was not authorized to do so. Persi's attorney, Robert Shea, argued in legal documents that Woska, who was not yet the board's president, did not inform fellow board members about the notice, a violation of ethics laws.

At the same meeting, Persi was dismissed as superintendent despite having a contract that required he be given 30 days notice before the interim position would end. Persi won a separate lawsuit against the district in that matter.

Though Woska does not face any criminal charges or monetary fines by way of the ruling, he has consistently appealed decisions finding he violated the state School Ethics Act.

The Appellate Divsion has not yet decided whether it will hear the case, which is being handled for Woska by Montenegro & Thomson, the law firm that previously represented the township school board.