NJ Ethics Law May Be Silencing School Board Members In Newark, Elsewhere: Report

NEWARK, NJ — A state law that regulates what school board members are allowed to discuss in public also has a dark side – and it has recently left a footprint on the Newark Public School District, a report says.

The School Ethics Act lays out ethical standards for local board of education members, prohibiting things such as conflict of interest and accepting gifts. It also prohibits members from speaking on behalf of the entire board or sharing information that might cause “injury” to the school – a clause that is creating a defacto gag order in New Jersey, some critics claim.

As reported in a NJ Spotlight News article, the law has had an impact on the state’s largest public school district.

The law came up during the renewal of superintendent Roger León’s contract last November, when one board member criticized the move and another moved to shut down his complaints, telling him: “You just discussed a whole lot of personnel matters in public, which is a violation of the School Ethics Act.”

The law also came up during a training session last year, when a Newark school board member raised concerns over a delay in swearing in a fellow member chosen to fill a vacancy – and was told by the board’s attorney that none of them should be suggesting the board has done something in violation of the law, as it may “harm their interests.”

Read the full article here.

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