Bias Issue Raised in Teacher Hirings Mtn Cabrera Gets Salary Increase

ata^ " i f ; *J * 07747 . ☆ The Weekly Newspaper w w Vol. 7 No. 35 Thursday, July 7, 1977 20 Cents Bias issue raised in teacher hirings MATAWAN as a teacher of handicapped children, Ms. Morbley said last night that she had of handicapped children. you can say we have to hire ‘x’ number of principal, and Nuccio recommended the Former Board of Education member applied for three special education jobs in applied for a job teaching neurologically Ms. Peters said there fewer than 10 Protestants and ‘x’ number of Jews, and so candidate who will be hired at a board Felicia Peters charged last night that the the district, Ms. Peters said. impaired children at the high school, another black teachers among the more than 300 forth. We should hire the best person. I don’t meeting Monday night, Ms. Marshall said. school board is making no effort to hire black Although Ms. Morbley was “one of seven position teaching emotionally disturbed faculty members in the district. care what the color is or what the religion The board discussed the appointment teachers, despite its affirmative action or eight finalists” for the jobs, Ms. Peters children at Matawan Avenue Middle School, “Their affirmative action policy doesn't is.” Tuesday night, according to the board policy. said, she was not hired for - any of the and a third as a resource room teacher at the mean anything,” she said. “When I was on Another board member, Kathleen Mar members. Board President Judith Hurley Ms. Peters, who is black, said that the positions. More than 80 teachers applied for high school. the board (Acting Superintendent) Tony shall, denied that the board is "going against said that the board voted only on the board delcined to hire Erma Morbley. a the jobs, she said. An aide in special education classes for the Nuccio always said to me that no blacks ever our affirmative action policy.” candidate recommended by Nuccio. black who has worked in the district as a “If you’re one of the finalists with that past five years. Ms. Morbley this year apply. Now they have someone who is “Everyone has a right to apply for a job,” However, the board did discuss two other teacher’s aide for the past five years. Ms. many candidates,” she said, “you can’t be received a bachelor of arts degree from qualified, who has worked in the district and Ms. Marshall said. “The best candidate is candidates, Dr. Richard Brown said. Morbley, who recently obtained certification all that bad.” Kean College and was certified as a teacher received good evaluations, and they don’t the one who is chosen.” Ms. Morbley’ name was on the list of three hire her for any of the three positions. It’s Several board members said the candidate finalists for the appointment. Brown said, unreal.” who is chosen is the one who is recommended and the board asked Nuccio why he had Several board members said they were by the superintendent of schools. recommended the applicant who will be opposed to what they called reverse “That’s usually the procedure,” Ms. hired. discrimination.. Marshall said. “But in the case of the “Tony said that was the best qualified “My position,” said John Comerford, “is Matawan Avenue job, the candidates were person for the job,” Brown said. that we don’t want to go on the quota system. interviewed by a minimum of three Ms. Morbley said she was interviewed for That’s discrimination in reverse. If you say administrators, if not four or five.” the neurologically impaired teaching job by we’re going to hire ‘x’ number blacks, then Both Thomas Grifa. Matawan Avenue Thomas Hurley, dean of students at the high school. Nuccio interviewed her for the job in the resource room, she said, and Grifa conducted the interview for the job at T ax on state hospital Matawan Avenue. “They made me feel very comfortable during the interviews,” she said. “But I started to feel uncomfortable when the m ay raise $95,000 neurologically impaired job was filled.” She had been told that she was one of three MAW.BOKO finalists for the job, she said, but “when it got Marlboro State Hospital, long viewed as a out, paid $118,000 in taxes last year. The down to the nitty gritty, my name wasn’t on liability by township officials and residents, phone company, however, pays at the full the list. I don’t know what happened between may soon begin pumping between $90,000 rate of $4.62 per $100. the high school and the superintendent’s and $100,000 into the township’s tax coffers Municipal tax assessors must present to office.” every year. the state Division of Taxation by Sept. 5 a list “I’m not for keeping bad teachers, black or The State Senate last w'eek passed a bill of all state-owned land and the accompany white,” Ms. Peters said, "but I am saying that wouid require the state to compensate ing assessments. give them an opportunity to show they can do municipalities for state-owned properties The law would not apply to highways and the job.” and facilities located within their borders. bridges. Ms. Marshall disagreed with that ap Gdv. Brendan Byrne is expected to sign the proach. bill, and the new law would go into effect by “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be put in a mid-1978. Lane to hear position where we have to turn down the best The payments will be based on the candidate.” she said, “just because he’s the municipalities’ tax rates for municipal wrong color, which in this case happens to services, excluding education. suit challenging be white.” According to Tax Assessor Joseph La- The board, she said, is looking for teachers Mura, Marlboro State Hospital and the who have “the potential to become master Rahway State Prison Farm, which is located Hazlet zoning teachers. It doesn’t matter what they are. on the hospital grounds, were evaluated at a HAZLET It’s what they have to offer our children.” total of $22,568 in 1972. Action will be taken next week to prepare Ms. Hurley said the board also discussed With Marlboro’s 1977 tax rate for munici the groundwork for a lawsuit brought by a its affirmative action policy Tuesday night. pal purposes set at 42 cents per $100 in developer against the Township Committee. A resolution which the board recently assessed valuation, the hospital and prison The developer, Louis Manfra of Irvington, adopted, restating its commitment to Ji " ■(ttrm would bring in nearly $95,000. sued the committee after the township’s affirmative action, will be amended, she We can use it,” LaMura said. zoning ordinance was amended several said, to include a reference to employment. Marlboro officials have often complained months ago to delete all provisions for mtn*-v rn to the state about the hospital’s burden on the multifamily housing. Manfra owns a tract of - m Police Dept. Many police man-hours, land on Route 36 which was zoned for Summer jobs «, s officials say, are logged patrolling near the townhouses under the 1976 zoning ordinance. hospital and searching for prison and Superior Court Judge Merritt Lane will hospital escapees. hold a pre-trial conference Wednesday, July spark argument Preparing for a parade Under the new law, the psychiatric 20. hospital would become the township’s second Judge Lane has already overturned zoning Musicians Tracy LaCosta (left), Lauren LaCosta (center), and was held Monday morning. The three girls are all students at largest taxpayer. ordinances in Holmdel and Marlboro which at board meeting Meg Fawn practice for the Holmdel Fourth of July parade, which Holmdel High School. The Bell Telephone Co., LaMura pointed did not provide for multifamily housing. By Chuck Arian Mayor Stephen Filardi, Township Commit KEYPORT teemen Jack Pierce, Mary Jane Wiley, A resolution authorizing the hiring of 10 Gilbert Bennett, and William Haines, and teachers during the summer sparked a Township Clerk Melvin Schnabel will give debate last week between Board of Educa Cabrera gets salary increase depositions Tuesday in the Keyport office of tion President John Kennedy and Superin Lawrence Hecker, Manfra’s attorney. tendent of Schools Douglas Fredericks. By Lee Duigon The board abandoned its plan after The The board must consult Thomas Carr, Mitchell said, the surplus can be used to David Zolkin of Keansburg will defend the The board first defeated the resolution by a HAZLET Independent published a story reporting that an engineer, to determine if an erosion reduce school taxes. suit for the committee. 6-3 vote, but after Kennedy and Hill became The Board of Education last night approved the decision to replace Cabrera had been control project at the Raritan High School Morales wants to include both the erosion Filardi was the only member of the embroiled in an argument, it held a salary increases for Superintendent of made. football field can be completed for $100,000. control project and the roof repairs in the committee who voted against deleting the 10-minute caucus, introduced a revised Schools Roman Cabrera and Board Secre "The article in the newspapers threw a “We would like very muich to get into it application for federal funds. multifamily zones. version of the measure, and approved it, 8-1. tary Eugene Konopacki. monkey wrench into the whole thing,” Mrs. (for the funds),” Mrs. Mitchell said, “and Manfra has claimed that the other The 10 teachers will receive a total of $9,250 Cabrera and Assistant Superintendent Mitchell said.

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