Today, the East Brunswick Board of Education will begin reviewing applications for the vacant BOE seat. Before that happens, the public deserves to know about potential conflicts of interest that could affect the fairness of this process.
Here’s what’s at stake:
A current Board member is listed as a trustee of the East Brunswick Education Foundation (EBEF), a nonprofit that works closely with the school district. Another Board member’s spouse also appears to be involved with EBEF.
According to the Board’s own policy (0142), no Board member is allowed to vote on or take part in any matter where they—or an immediate family member—have a personal or organizational interest that could reasonably influence their judgment.
That policy states:
“No Board member shall act in his or her official capacity in any matter where he or she, a member of his or her immediate family, or a business organization in which they have an interest, has a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair their independence of judgment.”
It’s clear.
Policy 1540 goes even further, making it clear that no administrator or Board member should use their position to benefit themselves, their families, or any organization they’re affiliated with.
And let’s not forget—there’s already precedent for recusal. A former BOE president previously recused herself from a vote when a conflict of interest was identified. So the Board knows the rules. They’ve followed them before. Now they need to do it again.
The candidate review process must be unbiased from the start. That means:
- Anyone with a conflict should recuse themselves immediately.
- Application packets should not be distributed to any Board member with a conflict.
- Interviews should be conducted in public so there’s full transparency and community trust.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about fairness. As parents and taxpayers, we expect a clean, honest process that follows the policies the Board has already agreed to.
The rules are clear. The precedent exists. Now the Board needs to follow through.
