I Suit Filed
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Spectator LEADER i Serving Linden and Roselle MAM IC1 Suit filed President passes by BOE budget > against for tax increase Salary, benefits account for $3.3 million priest By Dai Bams The tax levy, or the total amount •y A. E. Caartterl Staff Writer raised by taxes, will fund 10.3 per- Stiff Writer The Linden Board of Education is cent of the 2005-2006 school year A ROKIIC resident's complaint calling the budget proposal it submit- budget. The next biggest chunk of •bo* wxuil harassment leid to the ted to the county this week "flat," but chinge will come from state aid, filing of a lawsuit March 2 against the it still calls for an average tax which will comprise 15.7 percent of Episcopal Diocese or Newark by the increase of $193.28 per home. The the budget. The remaining 4 percent Equal Employment Opportunity Com- school board approved a preliminary will come from the current fund bal- miMKifi under title VII of the Civil budget by a vote of 7-0 at a special ance, tuition and miscellaneous Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC meeting Monday night. The $77.9 income, such as investments. million proposal is ^^^^_^^^^ The major Michele Wilson, an administrative $4 million more increese in the assistant for the dioceae, filed a charge than last year's The tax levy, or the bud** win come with the EEOC after the diocese did not address the harassment, the com- are no '""' «•*«««*** S" ^jjg plaint, died in U.S. District Court, new programs that by tOXeS, Will fUrtO increases the Lin- allege'. are large enough to gQ$ percent of the <kB Ed»e«tion According to the suit, a diocesan explain the ~nne >\nn* t i Association nego- priest, the Rev. Dana Roae, a vicar of increase.justafew tUvj-ZUUO SCnOOl tiated for last sum- m Trinity Church in Imnglon, regularly items like teacher ygQf budget. The next " About $3.3 made offensive sexual comments to contracts and the Jm , __^ s t..-t ^./•million will •g"o Wilson and another eoworker, Maxine state government's btggeSt ChUt\h Oj toward tnat. In Oooden of Teaneck, during his visits new ux policy, change will come «•"">• *• to diocesan offices in Newark. The complaint alleges that Rose slated he was going to visit Wilton's it more difficult for will COfTtpHse 75. 7 day by IS minutes, home and attempted to contact her at xce.. P^cent of the budget. «*•to — horns and also that Rose made state- !*«• By imtfk A. SamMfcM ments to the two women such as, "You Supporters of President George W. Bush's Social Security plan wave to the president as funds. The remaining 4per- The boards didn't say that last night when I was at his limousine passes by in westfield on the way to his speaking appearance at the " ta roif w/// come /row *??" C0T"ec your house making your scream." Armory on Friday. For complete coverage of the event, see Page B1. 3 pro- _ ••• chairman, Anlno- Rose is also alleged to have fre- gramming, quently grabbed or attempted to grab •but the current fund bal- ny onando jr.. is one will offte ith Gooden and Wilson and touched them another, ' ance, tuition and mis- Jw » *• physically. Though Wilson snd Good- •iiuiiivi, said ., . budget, given the en made Mir employer awtre of New security guard brings Superintendent of CellaneOUS IHCOme, troubles the board Rose's actioM, the complaint says, coul<l 1 there was no response or disciplinary Linden Public such as investments. "•"• a* action. Instead, the mil charges dial Schools Joseph • with U acher salary school up to full complement Martino. ^_^^MW—^™»«— increatet and S- the diocese created • hostile work fund the renovation of seven class- Linden hopes to ~ " 1701. environment for Oooden and Wilson. rooms at School 1, the waterproofing "The total general fund is increas- The Episcopal Diocese of Newark Roselle BOE considers other security measures needed of the foundation of School 5 and ing by S2.7 million, or 3.S percent," covert Etetx, Hudson, Morris, War- By Dan Bans Fisher toWJh* board he it trying to^ ••§ ibout School 6, the construction of • 12- Orlando said. ren, Bergen and Sussex counties, and Staff Writer the security problem. clataroom addition to the high school "All of the stuff we settled this includes more than a hundred parishes The Roselle Bond of Education voted 7-0 to hire a new "I want to be ahead of the situation," Fisher said. "The and the renovation of Cooper Field year was higher than 3.5 percent." in the region. security guard for Abraham Clark High School at its regu- worst thing in the world would be for me to come up to the this year, although no money has That means the board was able to cut The EEOC is especially con- lar meeting Monday night. board and have to explain why something happened," when been put into capital reserve. down on costs slightly elsewhere in cerned about this case since it involves The board was acting on the concerns of high school it could have been prevented. The school system is preparing for the budget. harassment in a religious setting," Mat- Principal Nathan Fisher, who said the school "is not a Abraham Clark High School was the site of a late night increasing enrollment. Enrollment is Orlandc thinks the percentage of ed Jacqueline McNair, the regional secure facility." Students have to cross the parking lot dur- gathering of between 200 and 250 teenagers and young steady in the elementary schools, but this budget that comes from Ux attorney for the EEOC. "Religious ing school hours to get from one side of the building to the adults on Jan. 29 at midnight, according to Roselle Police. is on the rise in the district's middle money is unfair. institutions with the requisite number other, which gives people who don't belong in the school Several fights broke out during the gathering. Officers from schools and high school, according to "Eighty percent is an awful of employees hive the same obliga- ample opportunity to enter, according to Fisher. the Cranford, Roselle Park and Union County police Martino. share," Orlrndo said, who alto indi- tion to provide their employees with t The new position will restore Abraham Clark's comple- departments were called in to help Roselle police in con- Martino alto presented the dis- cated his displeasure at S-1701 by work environment free from illegal ment to four security guards, according to Superintendent trolling the crowd. Approximately 100 of people in the trict's goals of expanding the use of calling New Jersey's tax system "bro- harassment is do other employers.'' of Public Schools Darlene Roberto. One recently resigned. crowd left the scene once police broke it up and stood in technology in instructional programs, ken." The new guard will be paid on a per diem basis until the front of • fried chicken restaurant on Chestnut Street until The EEOC brought the suit after increasing professional development S-1701 provides property tax end of this school year. police broke that up. That led to the arrests of two juveniles the commission investigated the com- opportunities for teachers and contin- relief to homeowners by draining for fighting and loitering and Patricia Shields, 35, of East plaint Wilson made against the dio- The board did not attach any specific salary to its ued curriculum enhancements. school budgets of their excess 5th Avenue for fighting with a juvenile female. The gather- cese. The liwsuii seeks punitive and approval, but Roberto said she will use the Roselle Educa- Linden currently uses programs monies. School boards can now only ing did not take place during school hours. compensatory dtmages as a result of tion Association salary guide to determine the appropriate like Everyday Mathematics, Reading keep 3 percent of their surpluses, what it claims were ineffective poli- amount. Esposito said he believes the gathering was organized in First and a hands-on science curricu- instead of the old mark of 6 percent. cies and practices concerning the pre- Most board members agreed the security problem at the chat rooms on the Internet. Most board members and Fish- lum for its elementary and middle Linden residents can vote on this vention of sexual harassment, which high school it a lot bigger than just a lack of one security er hadn't heard of the incident when Esposito brought it up school students. The district also year's school budget on April 19, caused I sexually hostile work envi- guard. Board member Anthony Esposito questioned how Monday. offers many different types of pro- during the board of education elec- ronment. the students could feel safe in school if the administrators Board member Andrew Burch Jr. reminded the board grams in the high school, like the tion. Once the budget proposal's final While the diocese did not return don't even feel safe. Stephen Onyrecuk suggested putting that Roselle has more problems with apathetic parents than NJROTC, International Baccalaure- draft is approved by the county phone calls seeking comment, the up a gate at the entrance to the bock parking lot on 7th it does with violence and g.mg-related activity, though he ate program and smaller learning Superintendent, the school board will Rev. Canon Paul S. Hunt has said the Avenue and perhaps a gate blocking the alleyway on the thinks thai apa ry can lead to worse things. communities. Many of those pro- present the budget to parents at every diocese would fight the lawsuit and is side of the school.