'Skinhead' Traffic Rant By NJ BOE Member Ruled Ethics Violation

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — It has been nearly a year since South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad’s emotional, race-related meltdown during a traffic stop and the New Jersey State Department of Education School Ethics Commission has ruled that her actions violated State ethics code in paperwork dated March 26.

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."

'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.

Watch dashcam footage from the April 27 traffic stop below.

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.

According to a report by the Village Green, former Board of Education President Elizabeth Baker and current President Annemarie Maini for comment. Baker and Maini said that they “cannot respond at this point” and have sought advice from the BOE’s legal counsel on next steps. Lawson-Muhammad has 13 days to take exception to the sanctions and 30 days to appeal the Commission’s findings, the report noted.

One person who was not shy about responding was Fields, who issued a lengthy statement alongside the ruling. 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.”

RACE RELATIONS IN SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD
The April 27 traffic stop is the latest in a series of recent race-related flare-ups in South Orange and Maplewood.

In March 2017 – the same week that a middle school in South Orange reported multiple incidents of racist graffiti in its bathroom – an elementary school in the district set off a firestorm of controversy when its fifth graders put mock advertisements for a "slave auction" on display inside the building.

In July 2016, emotions ran deep after police videos showed Maplewood officers using excessive force against a group of black youth after the township's Independence Day fireworks event. Several officers were disciplined as a result of the violence.

In 2014, civil rights groups including the ACLU of New Jersey filed a complaint with the federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights urging an investigation into the South Orange-Maplewood School District. The groups charged that the district's tracking and discipline practices "disproportionately confine students of color to lower-level classes and punish students of color and students with disabilities to a greater degree."

• See related article: South Orange-Maplewood Ponders $127M Plan To Integrate Schools

In May 2016, two Columbia High School students posted an Instagram photo of themselves in what appeared to be blackface makeup.

In June 2017, a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood raised the ire of some teachers when she choreographed a controversial dance about African-Americans' struggles with racism and police brutality.

• See related article: Maplewood 1st N.J. Town To Offer Immigrants 'Sanctuary' In 2017
• See related article: South Orange Offers Immigrants Sanctuary, Passes Resolution (PHOTOS)

This story contains reporting by Eric Keifer.

Photo/video courtesy of SOMA Black Parents Workshop
Photo 2 of Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad (Patch file image)

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