NJ Supreme Court Reaches Decision On Woodbridge Teacher Who Drank On The Job

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Tuesday, the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld a prior decision that the State Board of Examiners was correct when it suspended the teaching license for two years of a former Woodbridge teacher who drank alcohol in the classroom.

In May of 2019, Nicholas Cilento, a special-education teacher at Colonia High School, was fired by the Woodbridge school district after he was found consuming alcohol on school grounds.

The Woodbridge school district said he was found to be drinking alcohol inside Colonia High on two different days, May 20 and 21 of that year.

In October of that same year, the Woodbridge Township Board of Education brought tenure charges against Cilento, saying he engaged in unbecoming conduct and violated professional teaching standards. The school board brought an additional tenure charge for what it said was "a pattern of unbecoming conduct over time."

A hearing was then held where Cilento said he struggled with alcoholism for years.

In 2020, a state arbitrator determined Cilento should be disciplined for his actions, but not lose his teaching certificate or tenure status. The state arbitrator determined that a three-month unpaid suspension was appropriate for Cilento, and that he could be reinstated to the classroom on a "Last Chance Basis."

However, after that decision, the NJ State Board of Examiners, which regulates the licensing of all licensed professionals in the state, said it found Cilento’s actions to be unbecoming of a teacher and issued a two-year suspension of his teaching certificate. He could return to teaching after two years, the state board said.

Cilento appealed that decision, arguing the arbitrator’s decision should be considered the final decision on his case, and any further discipline should be barred.

The New Jersey Education Commissioner sided with the state licensing board, and an appeals court upheld that decision.

Cilento continued to fight his two-year classroom suspension, and his case was heard by the New Jersey Supreme Court in September of this year. On Tuesday of this week, the Supreme Court reached a decision where it upheld the prior rulings. The Supreme Court said the NJ State Board was correct when it decided to suspend Cilento from the classroom for two years.

Cilento does not currently work for the Woodbridge school district.

You can read the Supreme Court's Dec. 9 decision here: https://www.njcourts.gov/syste...