by Audrey Levine, The Packet Group
ROBBINSVILLE — Former Board of Education member Joseph Armenti, who resigned in October amid the fury following his use of an anti-gay slur, declined this week to elaborate on his published comments about a complaint he filed with the School Ethics Commission against board President Michael Reca.
In the complaint filed March 26, according to the Times of Trenton, Mr. Armenti alleges that Mr. Reca surrendered independent judgment by allowing gay and lesbian rights groups to dictate school policies; failed to keep school matters confidential by making statements to the press that revealed his personal opinions; violated a district chain of communications by failing to identify and attempt to resolve a problem at its origin; failed to make an audio recording of the Sept. 23 board meeting; failed to solicit input from board members before speaking to the media and failed to correct misinformation; and represented his personal opinions as the positions of the board.
Mr. Armenti acknowledged his comments to the Times but would not discuss them. Mr. Reca also declined to comment.
Mr. Armenti’s resignation from the school board was accepted about three weeks after he used the word “faggot” at a public board meeting during a discussion about a proposed program to report students using offensive language. The comment was made during a conversation about insults students overhear in district schools when he said students have the right to use such words under the First Amendment.
Mr. Armenti has said he was misquoted about his remarks in the media and they were taken out of context.
Steven Goldstein — chairman of Garden State Equality, a New Jersey gay rights group — who praised Robbinsville students in October for speaking out against Mr. Armenti’s comments, said Friday that he does not understand why this complaint has been filed after so much time has passed.
”Why wait until now to file the complaint?” he said. “He made a prejudicial statement, and others heard it. He’s in denial. Mr. Armenti’s prejudice is equaled only by his hypocrisy.”
A spokesman for the state School Ethics Commission said that group neither confirms nor denies complaints or investigations.

