Superintendent to keep full salary after taking lesser role

Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent H. James Wasser will continue to receive a salary in excess of $200,000, an annual raise and accrued sick and vacation days even while he steps down into an administrative position this June.

Wasser offered no explanation for his resignation, which came several months after a doctoral degree controversy died down. He declined to comment Tuesday, district spokesman James Quirk said.

Wasser's superintendent contract will be honored even as he works from this June through June 2011 in an administrative position under a new superintendent, except for three provisions: he will no longer use the SUV the district has provided, he cannot receive tuition reimbursement if he works toward a new degree and will no longer sit on the school board as a nonvoting member, board member Barry Hochberg of Marlboro said.

Wasser's year's worth of sick time can be used or cashed in at the end of his contract, Hochberg said.

"It will be a little expensive," Hochberg said of the agreement. "I'm not too thrilled about this."

But, the board would not allow Wasser to have a so-called no-show job, he said.

Wasser made a confidential proposal at an Aug. 31 executive session, and the board added duties to the proposed administrator for special projects position before was accepted Monday, Hochberg said.

Wasser will oversee the RAISE academy for at-risk students, Title IV grants, any new state education code that applies to the district, the drug policy, student discipline hearings and some staff development training in this position, Hochberg said. He will also serve as liaison between the school board and Monmouth County officials as well as between the board and local law enforcement, write reports to the state Education Department and follow up on any board actions deemed necessary, Hochberg said.

The board believes this will help them smoothly transition to a new superintendent, said Board President Ronald G. Lawson of Howell. Hochberg said he hopes a new superintendent will bring needed change to a district whose reputation was damaged by a so-called diploma mill controversy.

Wasser became the target for district residents and taxpayers' outrage after it was revealed in July 2008 that he and four others in the district had received doctoral degrees from an unaccredited online school, Breyer State University, and that tuition and $2,500 annual stipends for the degrees were paid by the district.

While state and county investigations exonerated Wasser of criminal accusations, the state concluded in early September 2008 that Wasser and one former and one current assistant superintendent, Donna Evangelista, must stop using their doctoral titles or face fines. They swiftly complied. Wasser relinquished his stipend and later apologized to the district. During the controversy, angry outbursts during meetings were common, and some demanded Wasser's resignation. But in recent months, relative calm had become the norm, though a few residents continued to request Wasser pay back tuition reimbursement and previously earned stipend money for the degree.

One such dissenter, Rhoda Sirulnick, 70, of Manalapan requested that restitution shortly after Wasser's resignation. Wasser refused.

Whether the controversy was related to the resignation is unclear; board members' opinions differ.

Lawson said he thinks Wasser wanted to spend more time with family, and says he didn't think that, after getting through the worst of the diploma storm, Wasser would give up.

Hochberg said he thinks it was due, in part, to pressure from the public, and to a lesser extent pressure from he, Jennifer Sutera of Manalapan and Harold "Heshy" Moses of Freehold, who ran for board seats on platforms to refuse to renew Wasser's contract after its June 2011 expiration.

Regardless of the state-wide controversy, Wasser's 23-year career in the district should be praised, board members said.

During a telephone interview, Hochberg, a critic of Wasser before being elected to the board in April, said Wasser "did wonderful things for the district. (But) at the end I think he made some poor choices."

Lawson, also during a telephone interview Tuesday, said that Wasser "is a man who has put up with a whole lot of crap during his tenure, and he's always come out on top when he's been accused of something."

He added: "I just wish that over the years this kind of political nonsense had never have happened, and that he had that much more time to devote (to the district)."

Lawson said that "(Wasser) has built a sound, a rock solid, foundation for high school education, and yet he's done it with the foresight of taking chances, but carefully measured chances. . .that's really what has made our district excel."

Wasser may not have had the votes to renew his contract after June 2011. If Hochberg, Sutera and Moses voted no and if Howell representatives abstained for nepotism conflicts, as they did on Wasser's resignation, only 3.05 possible yes votes remained in the boards weighted system. To pass a superintendent's contract 4.6 votes are needed in the system.

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12 Responses to “Superintendent to keep full salary after taking lesser role”

eric foster on September 17th, 2009

Well Hochberg and Moses got their way. FRHS has now lost one of its BEST superintendents because of two incopitant fools who could not make it in the REAL world. Wasser did nothing wrong nor illegal, just stepped on these fools toes. Now the district looses…

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- Aida on September 20th, 2009
  
  If freedom feels that w. was the best Supt. they’ve had then what does that say for his or her judgement? .Wasser did nothing wrong? Then where are your values and ethics. He did commit wrongdoings, not just now , but think back. Mr. Moses & Mr. Hochberg are ethical people and expect the same of a Supt. Why do you support misdeeds on the part of this man? He owes the taxpayers as well as the students. A nationwide search should bring in worthy individuals for the position.
  
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MTurner on September 17th, 2009

Mr. Wasser has always had the shadow of Supt. Maguire’s legacy over him. His bogus degree brought the light of day upon him directly.

The question, the taxpayers should be asking is, “why resign…Too hot in the kitchen?

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eric foster on September 17th, 2009

MTurner, doesn’t sound like you have lived here long. Maguire was no more than a poor excuse for an intrim supt. Wasser’s degree is real, though not mainstream. Then, what teaching degree is real?

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eric foster on September 21st, 2009

Dear Aida, just the fact that you “think” Moses & Hochberg are ethical raises questions either about your judgement or your agenda. I have known these two many, many years,have you? Check them out very carefully. Dr Wasser DID NOTHING WRONG NOR ILLEGAL! Why can’t you accept the facts of this issue. You owe Dr Wasser a great thanks for his leadership which has made our District a model within the USA…

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mendleberry on September 21st, 2009

Freedom either has to be little jimmy himself or Zena Durbig the principal of Howell HS. The one who let an antisemtic football player skate after an attack on another student. Wasser is the psoter boy for everything wrong witht he system as it stands in NJ. Lawson is his puppet because little jimmy gave her a job which she wasn’t even qualified for. There will be a party when little jimmy and Emmerman leave. The day after they leave. He has done more to harm this district than anyone in the history of education in NJ. He is still the same arrogant, abusive, I’m better than you blowhard who still doesn’t realize that he is his own worst enemy. Little jimmy has a big mouth and an even bigger ego. They have done him in.

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eric foster on September 21st, 2009

mendleberry, do you belong to NJEA? Grow up…

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Colleen Curry on September 21st, 2009

A courtesy nudge to all–meaning, let’s remain courteous here, folks. This site is a community center for civil discussion.

We strongly urge users to register by their real names, and will resort to banning anonymous users if we need to.

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BSU_Grad on September 22nd, 2009

freedom says: “Wasser did nothing wrong nor illegal, just stepped on these fools toes.”

I really, really disagree! If “tuition” for an obviously unaccredited “school” paid upfront (not reimbursed upon completion)is okay by you…then what else is okay? Lawyers can make anything look right, it’s their job…they like to make money. Right or wrong is a minor obstacle for them, they want to get paid regardless. Remember the OJ trial?? President Abraham Lincoln once said: “You must remember that some things that are legally right are not morally right.”

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Jim Sage on September 22nd, 2009

No courtesy nudge needed here Colleen. I will use and always use my name when giving my opinion on this whole disgrace of a matter.

Mr. Wasser needs to tep down; the Board attorney needs to acknowledge past mistakes and file “Tenure and Ethics Violations” against those that unethically, immorally and unlawfully received a docotrate degree from unaccredited Breyer State University.

Had Mr. Wasser and et al did the RIGHT THING by admitting a mistake and symbolically tearing there doctorate degree up; proclaiming to the students that this was a mistake and never to be repeated; and returning all monies retroactive to day one—Then Jim Sage will return to the land of insignifigance, never to be heard from again.

I do not have an agenda. I am not looking for a job (state, county or with the School District), and I am not running for office!! I just want to see public servants held to a higher standard, as I am, in serving and getting paid by the public.

There will be a Board of Ed meeting regarding this issue on October 5th at 8 PM at Marlboro High School. Please be there.

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Jim Jack on October 6th, 2009

“Dr Wasser DID NOTHING WRONG NOR ILLEGAL!”

Really? Falsifying a PhD to bilk the school district out of money. Having the audacity to make people call him “Dr.” when he knew his purchased degree was a sham?

And yes, this Breyer State “University” degree is illegal in many states and is specifically listed as a diploma mill in a dozen or so states that take the time to regulate such behavior.

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Sep200916

8:30 am

Colleen Curry

12

News, Schools

freehold regional school district, james wasser

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