Ethics Commission Dismisses Complaint Against Wayne Trustee

WAYNE, NJ — A state ethics commission dismissed a 10-count complaint Wednesday filed against Wayne Board of Education trustee Catherine Kazan stemming from a complaint filed by current and former school trustees more than a year ago.

State School Ethics Commission Chairman Robert Bender granted the motion be dismissed "in its entirety" finding "no sufficient, credible evidence" to support the counts four current and three former Board of Education trustees filed against Kazan in September 2016.

The complaints filed the complaint after Kazan signed a petition that supported bringing full-day kindergarten to the district.

Board President Donald Pavlak Jr., Vice President Mitch Badiner and trustees Eileen Albanese and Michael Bubba, along with former trustees Robert Ceberio and Alan Mordkoff, sought Kazan's removal from the board.

State Administrative Law Judge Gail Cookson ruled in March that Kazan did not violate state ethics regulations when she signed the petition. The petition sought to invalidate the results of a 2015 referendum on full-day kindergarten and alleged electioneering by poll workers when residents voted on the referendum.

Kazan estimates her legal fees, which the district has to pay for, to be between $35,000 and $40,000. That amount does not include what the board's attorney already charges the district.

Kazan called the ordeal "a shameful waste of taxpayer money."

"Clearly, some members had motives outside of whether or not I've done anything unethical," Kazan said. "Mr.Pavlak, Mr. Bubba, Mrs. Albanese, and Mr. Badiner had the power to end this and chose not to. I am happy to be cleared of all charges for the third and final time."

The filers asked for two extensions regarding Cookson's decision: One because their lawyer quit the case and another to have Kazan's attorney update his request for a dismissal.

Six board trustees, including Kazan, voted to implement full-day kindergarten at the board's organizational meeting in January 2016, but it was later decided the program could not be implemented due to budget constraints. The board later voted 7-2 to rescind the earlier vote. Residents twice rejected implementing the program.

Ethics charges have not been brought against any of the board members who voted the same as Kazan on full-day kindergarten, according to Cookson.

RELATED: Ethics Complaint Against Wayne Education Trustee Still Looms

RELATED: Judge Rules Wayne Education Trustee Did Not Violate Ethics Code

RELATED: Board Of Education Approves Full-Day Kindergarten For September

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Photo: Catherine Kazan, Wayne Board of Education trustee/Patch file photo by Daniel Hubbard