Ocean City BOE Solicitor Blasts Upper Township Investigation

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Upper Township Public School District wants to know why the Ocean City School District was investigating some of its representatives. It says the investigations came to light during the first few days of former Ocean City High School Athletic Director Christine Lentz's trial, but the attorney who represents the Ocean City Board of Education has called the accusations "false" and the claims "irresponsible."

The Upper Township Board of Education has authorized an investigation of the Ocean City School District, The Press of Atlantic City reports. The investigation centers on the Ocean City School District’s investigation of Upper Township Superintendent Vincent Palmieri, Board of Education President Michele Barbieri and Fran Newman, Upper Township’s representative on the Ocean City Board of Education.

The board said that if Ocean City Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor and Board of Education President Joe Clark don’t cooperate in the investigation, it will immediately call for their resignations, according to the report. They have both been invited to the Upper Township Board of Education’s meeting on Dec. 18.

On Tuesday, Ocean City Board of Education Solicitor Mike Stanton fired back at the Upper Township Board.

"The Ocean City Board of Education was dismayed to learn of false accusations made in public last night by and on behalf of the Upper Township Board of Education. To state it simply, these accusations are false," Stanton said in a prepared statement. "The sworn testimony about the employment investigation, referenced by the Upper Township Board of Education in its public statement, provides no support for these irresponsible claims. The Upper Township Board of Education should retract its resolution and consider this matter closed and behind us so we can move forward together, for the good of both of our communities."

Stanton wasn't immediately available to answer follow-up questions.

Students from Upper Township attend Ocean City High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Ocean City has similar relationships with Corbin City, Longport and Sea Isle City. Upper Township has three seats on the Ocean City Board of Education. Each seat is for a one-year term, and the members are appointed by the Upper Township Board of Education.

The Ocean City Board of Education's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 13, 7 p.m., in the Community Room at Ocean City High School.

Lentz, 54 of Upper Township, was found not guilty on charges of second-degree official misconduct and third-degree criminal computer activity earlier this month. She was accused of stealing Taylor’s iPad in an effort to get contract proposals before negotiations.

Lentz was accused of accessing Taylor's emails without authorization between April 1 and June 1 of last year. During this time, there were ongoing contract negotiations centered around a new contract for the Ocean City Administrators' Association.

Lentz was the Ocean City Athletic Director for seven years, beginning in 2008. She resigned in the summer of 2015, initially citing health reasons, but later claiming she was forced to resign. She was charged with hacking Taylor’s account in August of 2015. Lentz is a former girls basketball coach at the school, earning 217 wins, the 11th most in Cape-Atlantic League history.

Patch file photo