*According to a highly reliable source inside the East Brunswick administration building, this information comes directly from within the district’s leadership offices.”
Silencing Dr. Lou Figueroa: A Blow to Voter Trust
In East Brunswick, we are witnessing a dangerous erosion of democracy in real time. Dr. Lou Figueroa — elected by 7,755 voters to the East Brunswick Board of Education — is now being systematically silenced. Not by the people who chose him, but by a coordinated effort involving Superintendent Victor Valeski, Business Administrator Bernardo Giuliana, and the New Jersey Department of Education.
The Real Reason Behind the Targeting
The NJDOE recently ruled that Dr. Lou Figueroa cannot vote on any matters involving Victor Valeski. Meanwhile, Bernardo Giuliana has successfully pushed the NJDOE to further restrict Dr. Figueroa from participating in any discussions or votes related to Giuliana’s contracts or the efficiency of the departments he oversees.
According to information provided to Eyes on EB, this aggressive effort stems largely from Dr. Figueroa’s work in proposing an alternative budget — a budget that only a select few Board of Education members have seen firsthand.
Additionally, Dr. Figueroa has been an open critic of Valeski’s leadership during his campaign for the Board of Education, but notably remained silent on these issues while he was still employed by the district. In his complaint, Victor Valeski misleadingly suggested that Dr. Figueroa made critical remarks while still an employee, but the record shows otherwise. Dr. Figueroa never publicly criticized the administration while working for the district — even when hundreds of residents showed up at Board meetings to advocate on his behalf. His only public criticisms came much later, during his campaign, after his employment had been terminated.
This Is Not Governance — It’s Retaliation
This isn’t just political maneuvering. This is the weaponization of government power to crush dissent.
And it’s a slap in the face to the 8,000+ residents who entrusted Dr. Lou Figueroa to represent them and promote a cultural shift in our district.
If those in power can silence an elected official simply because they dislike what he has to say — or because he proposes necessary but uncomfortable changes — then local democracy in East Brunswick is no longer functioning. It has become a show, a charade, a hollow performance. Worse, it sets a dangerous precedent: that criticism of leadership will be punished, not debated.
The superintendent works for the Board of Education, not the other way around. For this action to be sanctioned by Board President Heather Guas and Vice President Liwu Hong speaks volumes about their character — and their ability, or inability, to maintain accountability among those they are tasked with overseeing.
It is the Board’s responsibility to ensure the district operates fairly and lawfully. Yet not a single member has stepped up. They allowed their employee, Victor Valeski, to take control in a way that no superintendent should ever be permitted to do. And in doing so, they have failed the very people they were elected to serve.
Where Is the Outrage?
The residents of East Brunswick should be outraged. Democracy is not about protecting entrenched power at all costs. It’s about giving voters a voice — even when that voice is inconvenient for those currently in charge.
We also sincerely hope that Mayor Brad Cohen, who has spoken passionately on his personal social media about the importance of due process and protecting democracy nationwide, will recognize the seriousness of what is happening right here in his own backyard. Speaking up for democracy cannot just be about what happens in Washington, D.C. It must start at home — especially when it’s so blatantly under attack.
Eyes on EB Will Keep Watching
What is happening to Dr. Lou Figueroa is wrong. It is unjust. And it is un-American.
East Brunswick voters deserve better.
Eyes on EB will continue to watch, to report, and to stand up for the voices that others are so desperately trying to silence.
This article reflects the opinion of Eyes on EB, based on public information and insights from a reliable source within the East Brunswick administration.
