Prosecutor Appealing PTI Placement For Ex-Brick Schools Official

BRICK, NJ -- Lorraine Morgan's participation in a pretrial intervention program won't continue, if the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has its way.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato announced Friday that his office has filed an appeal of PTI that was granted in March to Morgan, the former Brick Township School District academic officer.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Roe approved Morgan's application for PTI and on May 6 affirmed her decision to allow Morgan to participate in the program,said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Morgan was indicted in September 2015 a charge of third-degree official misconduct in connection with a pending official misconduct and theft case against her husband, Andrew Morgan, and Brick Township Superintendent of Schools Walter Uszenski.

Lorraine Morgan is accused of approving payment for unnecessary in-home counseling services for the grandson of Uszenski, he said. If convicted, she faces a mandatory jail sentence with at least two years of parole ineligibilty, he said.

Andrew Morgan, the former Interim Director of Special Services, Uszenski, and Uszenski’s daughter, Jacqueline Halsey, were indicted in September 2015 on charges of official misconduct and theft in connection with a scheme to provide the superintendent’s grandson with free daycare and transportation at public expense.

Pretrial intervention allows certain offenders to avoid prosecution and a criminal conviction if they successfully complete the program, Della Fave said.

"The State objected to Morgan’s entry into the program because her charge is based on a violation of the public trust in that she is alleged to have abused her public position to confer an illegal benefit upon the superintendent’s grandson," he said.

Uszenski, Andrew Morgan and Halsey were arrested May 7, 2015, in the case and indicted Sept. 29. Uszenski was suspended by the Brick Township Board of Education late in the evening May 7, 2015 and his suspension was changed to a suspension without pay shortly after the indictment.

The cases against Uszenski, Andrew Morgan and Halsey remain active, Della Fave said.

Andrew Morgan had resigned his position with the district in 2014. Lorraine Morgan's contract was not renewed last June at the end of the 2014-15 school year.