Super's exit demands
probe
From thnt.online on
the Web, December 9, 2007
Edison, Dec. 8, 2007 -- Here
is to the hope the state will look into the ouster of Carol Toth, the Edison
schools chief whose sudden dismissal last month is still unexplained.
To recap, Toth was let go during a late-night session of the Board of Education.
No public notice was offered nor was an explanation provided, other than the
lame excuse by some board members that Toth didn't communicate well enough with
them.
Now the district — i.e. taxpayers — is on the hook for 2 1/2 years of salary;
Toth is still owed and must be paid roughly $400,000, a rather hefty sum for
sitting at home these next 30 months. Talk about throwing money out the
window.
Ratcheting up the intrigue, the decision was as far from unanimous as anyone
could imagine. Only four of the nine board members voted to kick Toth to
the curb. Three others refused and two others abstained from the vote,
citing personal conflicts. Curious, too, several board members said they
were unaware of a vote until that evening.
How can so key a financial and management decision be treated so cavalierly?
All of this bumbling has led to a host of questions, not least among them:
What went on behind those doors and was it legal?
To their credit, some Edison parents are trying to get those answers. They
have filed a complaint with the state Department of Education urging it to
investigate the circumstances surrounding Toth's removal. The group wants
to know if the school board broke state law? Did it need the approval of
the education commissioner? Was Toth's contract violated? All are
valid concerns. For example, the complaint alleges that relieving Toth of
her duties should have required a public hearing and 30 days notice in
conformance with due process rules relating to changes in public contracts.
May the Education Department look into this matter and provide clarity where
none exists now. Edison residents deserve no less.
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