School board censures member

By: Rebecca Weltmann
   UPPER FREEHOLD — After a three-hour closed session Feb. 21, the Upper Freehold Regional school board voted to censure board member Howard Krieger.
   The vote was unanimous with one abstention and two absences. Mr. Krieger abstained, and Jeannette Bressi and Stephen Murphy were not present to vote. The motion to censure Mr. Krieger came from board member Chris Shaw.
   A censure is, in essence, an official reprimand from a governing body and not a legal action that involves a court decision or a response to a standing law. Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert Smith declined to comment on the censure.
   The decision came after a township resident alleged Feb. 8 that Mr. Krieger had made an obscene gesture at him during the Feb. 7 school board meeting, and that Mr. Krieger had made a racial slur directed at that resident during a recess at the same meeting. The resident called for Mr. Krieger’s resignation. Mr. Krieger said he would not resign for something he did not say.
   "I didn’t say it and it’s just aggravating," Mr. Krieger added. "It’s horrible and I’m tired of it. All I want to do is get a school built. I want the kids in this community to have a decent school and hire a new superintendent. I just want to put all of this behind me."
   The call for Mr. Krieger’s resignation came from township resident Arun Singh, an emergency room doctor. At the Feb. 7 meeting, Dr. Singh voiced his frustrations with the school board relating to the delays in getting the new middle school built. Dr. Singh alleged that Mr. Krieger made the obscene gesture at him after he made his comments to the board, and made a racial slur that was heard by a fellow resident in the hallway during the recess.
   In response to hearing about Mr. Krieger’s alleged comment, Dr. Singh sought Mr. Krieger’s resignation. Dr. Singh also requested a public apology stating that the reason for the resignation stemmed from a racial slur. Mr. Krieger said he originally had offered to resign because he didn’t want this issue to interfere with the board’s efforts to pass a referendum regarding a new middle school. He said he withdrew that offer when Dr. Singh insisted that the resignation make reference to the alleged racial slur.
   At the board meeting on Feb. 21, Mr. Singh voiced his frustration that Mr. Krieger had not submitted a letter of resignation.
   "I now have to explain to my children the aspects of racism because it was thrust upon me," he said. "How do I explain this to them? What would I be teaching my children if I went away quietly and accepted what (the board) offered me?"
   Dr. Smith said it is not up to the board to force anyone to resign.
   "The board does not have the authority to remove a member from the board except in one circumstance, and that has to do with if a board member misses three regular consecutive meetings," Dr. Smith said. "Other than that, there is no provision for the board to remove a member."
   Dr. Singh said he is deeply offended that the board would not ask Mr. Krieger to resign and that he would seek further action to have the matter resolved. He refused comment regarding what that further action might be, except that part of the action would include a call to the American Civil Liberties Union.
   "If the board had acted appropriately, then I would have closed this issue," Dr. Singh said. "Since they have not, I will not let this rest."