Parents Call For Superintendent's Resignation For Mishandling Wayne Hills Eligibility Investigation

WAYNE, N.J. — Dozens of parents attended a Wayne Board of Education meeting Thursday night and criticized Superintendent Mark Toback, calling for him to resign for his mishandling of the ongoing residency issue involving three Wayne Hills High School football players.

Parents blasted Toback, the board, Board counsel Isabel Machado, and Wayne Hills Principal Maureen Weir, saying they felt the district no longer supported the students. Several parents requested Toback, whom they said was “incompetent” and “contradicted himself” regarding what he said at a closed-door, football-only parents meeting and what he told the NJSIAA regarding the team and the three Hayek boys — including varsity players Hunter and Tyler — and their brother, Jaaron.

Ann Marie Pusterla, a football parent, said she does not see any pride coming from district administrators.
“You guys proved your incompetency that day. It is your job to understand the residency rules. It is your job to read the bylaws and understand them,” Pusterla said. “Your actions and inexcusable and unforgivable. Our principal [Maureen Weir] didn’t even address us [during the closed-door meeting]. She didn’t even say ‘I’m sorry for what you’re going through.’”

Toback stated there were “ongoing concerns” regarding the boys’ alleged ineligibility after the family moved to Wayne in October 2015 and because they allegedly did not produce “bona fide” change of address forms to the district, something their father vehemently denied. Toback previously said he received “additional information” regarding the matter and contacted the NJSIAA about the boys’ “potential ineligibility” Nov. 7. The state’s governing body on high school athletics banned the team from the state group championship because dictates that if one player is ineligible, the entire team is. The NJSIAA initially praised the district for self-reporting the matter.

The team was banned, but an appeal to the state Department of Education’s acting commissioner was heard and a stay placed on the ban and the Hayek boys’ suspensions Nov. 9. The NJSIAA ruled Tuesday that the players and team were not granted “due process” and said the initial investigation was “incomplete.”

RELATED: District's Football Investigation Was Not 'Thorough,' Testimony Was 'Incomplete,' State Says

“I regret the turmoil,” Toback said. “I am a former football player. I have a son who plays football. I know the kind of impact that this could have on a family.”

Toback said that a part-time employee would be hired to investigate all residency matters. The Board of Education decided to hire a retired administrative law judge to independently investigate the matter and review the district's eligibility procedures.

Resident William Brennan pleaded with the board not to spend money auditing its eligibility procedures, but instead urged them to “get rid of the man who doesn’t understand them.”

Other parents agreed, stating that Toback should be “trying to pull the wedge out” that exists between the Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley high school communities.

“If this was a corporation and he was a CEO, he would already be fired because of what he did,” Mark Pischel said. “We need leaders who are going to work to unite the two sides. You’re not capable of uniting. We need new leadership at the superintendent, the board, and at both high schools.”

Board trustee Christian Smith also moved that the district reimburse all legal fees incurred by the Hayek family and any other family regarding their defense of the appeal, but he withdrew his motion after the board reconvened after meeting in executive session.

Top-seeded Wayne Hills will play No. 8-seed Roxbury in the opening round of the North 1 Group 4 tournament Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Wayne Hills.

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Photo: Superintendent Mark Toback at the meeting Thursday night. Screenshot of live broadcast.