NJ BOE Member Says Commission 'Ill-Suited' To Judge Her: Report

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - The New Jersey State Department of Education School Ethics Commission ruled Tuesday that South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad's emotional, race-related meltdown during a traffic stop last April was a violation of their code of conduct.

They recommended a six-month suspension for the infraction, and Lawson-Muhammad has 13 days to take exception to the sanctions and 30 days to appeal the Commission's findings. In a statement to the Village Green, Lawson-Muhammad said that she didn't feel the Commission could judge her.

"We are deeply disappointed with the decision issued by the Ethics Commission. Their action delegitimizes, disregards and belittles the very real and justified fear, anxiety, disorientation and even trauma that is nearly always experienced during even a routine traffic stop, particularly if that motorist is African American," she wrote. "The commission members were completely ill-suited to judge my fear and the real intentions of my words. They lacked corroborating evidence, expertise and, most especially, personal experience. I am in the process of considering my options.”

During the April 27, 2018 incident, an emotional Lawson-Muhammad called the local police chief a "skinhead" after a South Orange officer pulled her over for allegedly speeding. She then apparently attempted to use her position on the board as leverage to get out of a ticket and told the officer that she is "scared of cops because you guys hurt black people."

You can watch dashcam footage from the incident below.

'AN IRRATIONAL RESPONSE'

On May 17, 2018 almost three weeks after the traffic stop took place, Lawson-Muhammad issued a public apology.

"First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize for my uncharacteristic behavior displayed in the police video on April 27," she stated. "I had an irrational response to being stopped for a traffic violation. I allowed my emotions to overwhelm me that morning, and I fell short of the standards to which I hold myself."

• See related article: NJ School Board Member Sorry For 'Skinhead' Traffic Rant (VIDEO)

Her apology wasn’t enough for the SOMA Black Parents Workshop, the group that released the traffic stop video and called for Lawson-Muhammad’s resignation in the wake of the incident.
The group, which has been active in local civil rights issues involving African-American residents of South Orange and Maplewood, said that if the role was reversed, they would have taken the officer and the department to task.
“We can be no less outraged under the present circumstances,” President Walter Fields said.

According to the paperwork, Field filed the complaint ethics complaint against Lawson-Muhammad that led to the ruling.

The Commission found that Lawson-Muhammad violated both N.J.S.A.18A:12-24.1(e) and N.J.S.A.18A:12-24.1(f) in the code of conduct. The Commission noted Lawson-Muhammad's attempt to escalate the situation and that her public apology did and attempt to make amends with the officer and the Chief of Police did not come until after her actions became public as marks against her.

The penalty recommended is a six-month suspension from the school board.

Fields said that the complaint was brought with no personal animosity against Ms. Lawson-Muhammad or pursued in a frivolous manner. He also renewed his call for her resignation.

"At the time this incident became public I called for the resignation of Ms. Lawson-Muhammad from the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education," Fields said. "Today, I call upon the Board of Education to follow its own policy and remove Ms. Lawson-Muhammad from her position. Board policy under Prohibited Acts under its Bylaws clearly states: 'No Board member shall use or attempt to use his or her official position to secure unwarranted privileges, advantages, or employment for him or herself, members of his or her immediate family, or other.'”

‘HATRED DOESN’T GO AWAY WITH AN APOLOGY’

Several commenters on previous Patch articles about the traffic stop called the incident “racist” and said that Lawson-Muhammad should resign.

Seen online:

• “Her rant betrayed her obvious bias and bigotry (esp. calling the chief of police a "skin head"). Hatred like that doesn't go away with an apology. She should be gracious and leave.”
• “The police officer showed great restraint and professionalism in dealing with this racist woman. Hopefully she will be removed from the school board.”
• “Sorry, she should resign, period. Not only did she display outrageous racist behavior, but she exposed her child to it, signaling that it is OK to profile someone by race.”

However, some people offered sympathetic comments as well:

• “The woman was wrong and she apologized. Unlike how the hard left reacts when the situation is reversed, I see no reason to ruin this woman's life. It was a traffic stop and she said something stupid. It's over now. Let her get back to her life.”

This story contains reporting by Eric Keifer.
Photo/video courtesy of SOMA Black Parents Workshop

Photo 2 of Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad (Patch file image)

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.