EWEA snub has Ettman on offensive

School board candidate didn’t get teachers union endorsement.

By: Dick Brinster
   HIGHTSTOWN — Bruce Ettman’s bid for a fourth term on the East Windsor Regional Board of Education is based in part on combating what he calls hatred of him by teachers union President Jan Amenhauser.
   "I don’t think anybody can question my vote and my feeling about teachers and labor in general," he said at Monday’s school board meeting. "I think the reason I didn’t get an endorsement is because Jan Amenhauser hates me."
   Ms. Amenhauser labeled this week’s charge by Mr. Ettman as "sad" and "pathetic," and added she feels "personally harassed" by public accusations he made that she’s dishonest.
   The EWEA announced this week that it is supporting board members James Hauck and Kennedy Paul, who has been on the board only two months. Mr. Ettman and newcomer Harjit Bajaj also are running for the three, three-year terms on April 18.
   Mr. Ettman chose a ceremony honoring five teachers at Monday night’s board meeting to question Ms. Amenhauser’s integrity and criticize her group for not attending to honor teachers Joan Newell, Kathleen Hill, Scott Kercher, Jack Dunn and Peter Yacyk.
   "Nobody’s here from the association leadership to recognize the teachers of the district," Mr. Ettman said. "That seems to be the board’s job."
   Mr. Ettman criticized an element he said was pointing fingers, spreading rumors and "working against the interest of the community at large." He said he was proud to have been part of the "dramatic change" in the personality and morale building in the district.
   Ms. Amenhauser said this week that the association’s selection committee determined which candidates would be backed.
   "The candidates who were endorsed seemed to share the same educational philosophy as the East Windsor Education Association," she said.
   The EWEA endorsed Mr. Ettman three years ago.
   Mr. Ettman said his bad blood with Ms. Amenhauser dates to 2003, when he was board president and the district was in the process of hiring a new superintendent.
   "We caught Jan lying and cheating in the superintendent search," Mr. Ettman charged. "We were advised she spread rumors about a candidate’s employment status which were untrue.
   "An investigation revealed that in fact, it happened."
   Mr. Ettman would not elaborate on that probe when contacted Tuesday, and Ms. Amenhauser shot back that he did not have correct information.
   "In my 35 years in education I have been verbally attacked exactly twice, and both of these times have been in a public meeting by Mr. Ettman," she said.
   The first mention Monday night of Ms. Amenhauser resulted in Mr. Ettman being warned by board President Ric Perez and Vice President Robert Laverty not to use his forum for a personal attack.
   Later in the meeting, Mr. Perez banged the gavel in an attempt to silence Mr. Ettman and advise him that he would able to speak on the topic but not use a name. Mr. Ettman complied, thereafter referring to Ms. Amenhauser as "the leadership" of the EWEA.
   Mr. Ettman’s comments in 2003 resulted in the filing of charges against him and the school board by the EWEA and the New Jersey Education Association with the Public Employment Relations Commission.
   "They filed a complaint when I challenged Jan on the rumors about the candidate for the superintendency after I determined that there were false statements made about the employment status of the one of the candidates," he said.
   He pointed out that the PERC ruled in his favor without even hearing a defense, then was interrupted by Mr. Perez.
   "It’s public record," said Mr. Ettman, who subsequently submitted written proof of the ruling to the Herald.
   "No, it’s not public record, not everything," Mr. Perez said.
   Mr. Ettman kept talking.
   "There were thousands of dollars spent on this issue by the association, by the district, to get us nowhere," he said.
   Ms. Amenhauser said Wednesday that the PERC action was filed "because of Mr. Ettman’s aggressive, bullying behavior toward me at a public meeting."
   "Now, after hearing about Mr. Ettman’s aggressive assault on my character during the April 3 public school board meeting, I am feeling personally harassed," she said.
   "Bruce Ettman is a politician running for public office and you have to look at his statement in that light," Ms. Amenhauser said Tuesday. "He wants to get elected and must think that by making these kind of negative remarks about the teachers association and its president that he will get elected. How sad and pathetic.
   "It appears that he is lashing out at the East Windsor Education Association because we did not endorse him for the board."
   After his making his charges Monday against Ms. Amenhauser, Mr. Ettman labeled his speech a "call for unity," saying his objection to "some behavior of leadership" is not a protest against teachers and decried what he said "wasn’t a real program to select who is a proper endorsement" by the EWEA.
   "Nobody will tell me who was invited to vote, what the vote was about, how it will be communicated," Mr. Ettman said. "It’s basically sandbagging, and I have to object to that."
   Calling his candidacy "an open book," he said he’s available to speak to anyone at any time about his record as a board member. He said the district — particularly the teachers — has made major strides in the last two years to rid itself of negativity.
   "Let’s not let it happen again by misrepresentation and innuendo," Mr. Ettman said. "The improvement could not have been made without the teachers."
   Mr. Paul said Thursday: "I’m happy that they (the EWEA) think I’ll make a good board member. I don’t know if I’m surprised. I just answered a set of questions for them."
   National Citizenship Education Teacher Awards donations of $500 each were made by VFW Post 5700 in the name of the honored teachers.