Toms River School Board Member Rescinds Resignation: Report

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Less than two weeks after announcing he was resigning his seat on the Toms River Regional Board of Education, Beachwood representative Daniel Leonard has announced he is rescinding that decision, according to a report.

The Asbury Park Press reported that Leonard rescinded his resignation over the weekend. Leonard, who had originally announced his resignation on Thanksgiving, told the Press he has decided instead to take a leave of absence for undisclosed medical reasons.

Leonard made the announcement on Facebook, according to the Asbury Park Press report. The post, however, appears to be private and visible only to those who are friends with him on the social media site.

Leonard announced his resignation from the board on Thanksgiving, two days after a contentious school board meeting where the board approved a new contract for Superintendent David Healy — a move that drew a great deal of criticism from the Toms River school district's teachers' union. Leonard, who has at times been sharply critical of Healy, was one of six yes votes to approve the contract. Christopher Raimann voted no, and board members Robert Onofrietti Jr. and Joe Nardini both abstained — as they are legally required to do — because they have family members who work in the district.

Leonard won a three-year term in the November 2016 election and has been a vocal critic of current Board President Ben Giovine. He also had a public spat with Onofrietti during the summer that has since been settled.

Because the board has not met since Leonard intially announced his resignation — and therefore had not formally accepted it — there should be no issues with him rescinding that decision. A situation on the Brick Township Board of Education two years ago where a board member resigned due to health issues and then tried to rescind it led to prolonged wrangling over filling the seat. In that situation, John Talty's resignation had been formally accepted by the board, and political divisions led to a public and ugly fight over who should fill it that ended with an appointment by the Ocean County executive superintendent.

Had Leonard not rescinded the move, the board would have had 65 days to choose a replacement to serve for one year, and a special election would have been held for the final year of the term.

Leonard, who is an Army veteran, told the Asbury Park Press he is dealing with medical issues related to his military service. The Press report said he additionally has requested a leave of absence from his position with the Ocean County Human Services Department.

At the school board meeting before Thanksgiving, Leonard spoke out in support of Healy, addressing social media rumblings that the district was somehow better off under former Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco, who was convicted of taking bribes in an insurance scheme that cost the district millions of dollars. Ritacco is in the midst of serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison for that crime.

"Suggestions that things were better under Ritacco are ignoring a few things," Leonard said during the meeting. "The reason we're doing this ESIP program (a $17 million plan to address infrastructure issues through energy-saving renovations) is because money wasn't going into these schools, the money was going into his pocket or going into his house or whatever."

"We need to move things forward," Leonard said.

Daniel Leonard photo by Toms River Regional School District