No
plan to probe sports group
NJSIAA's behavior not our
responsibility, education chief says.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005 • By TERRENCE DOPP and
MIKE WEILAMANN • The
Express-Times
Education Commissioner William Librera is
resisting calls for an immediate investigation of the New
Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic
Association.
Librera, through a spokeswoman, said he
did not have the power to force such an investigation into
allegations of price gouging at high school sporting events
run by the agency. Instead, Librera has commissioned Warren
County Superintendent of Schools William King, his liaison
to the NJSIAA, to draft a preliminary report.
"It's a voluntary organization," said
Kathryn Forsyth, spokeswoman for Librera. "He's not taking
any additional action beyond this."
The NJSIAA conducts post-season
tournaments and championships in 31 sports. It is funded
primarily by ticket sales and dues paid by 425 public,
private and parochial schools taking part in football,
wrestling, track and boys basketball.
Critics contend the $7 to $12 prices
charged for tickets to championship events are out of line
and unfair to youngsters and low-income families.
"It hurts to attend these things," said
Phillipsburg resident Jerry Norrell, whose sons Brian and
Chris wrestle for the Stateliners. "I have two boys and
three girls, along with my wife and I. Every time we go to
an event it ends up costing a lot, plus you have to buy
food."
Norrell estimates he spent $240 just on
tickets for the individual state wrestling tournament held
in Atlantic City this past March. Adult tickets he said for
all three days (five sessions) cost about $60 and $45 for
students. Factoring the cost of food and a hotel stay,
Norrell figures the total bill for the eight people in his
party was in the neighborhood of $1,000.
While he would like to see prices
dropped, Norrell isn't sure the high costs are out of line
but welcomes an investigation.
"I think it's good because, No. 1, it
puts (the NJSIAA) on their toes," Norrell said. "It's hard
to say they're robbing us because I don't know all the
details. Maybe it will come to light that these prices are
fair."
Scott Carolus, a die-hard Warren Hills
wrestling fan and Washington resident, says the prices for
wrestling tournaments are reasonable -- for the single
fan.
"The prices for an individual aren't that
bad," Carolus said. "But I can understand they are from a
family point of view. (Spending $1,000) is like taking a
vacation basically."
King said he has no preconceptions of
where the investigation will go.
"I've been on the executive board of what
I feel is an important organization that has served the
athletes and students of New Jersey well," King said. "These
are articles printed in the press with some accusations and
legislators who have proposed some legislation."
Forsyth said no timeline exists for
King's inquiry. When asked if the Department of Education
forces NJSIAA officials to file reports annually, Forsyth
said it is not required to do so.
"They are an independent authority," she
added.
For more than a year, media outlets
statewide have detailed allegations of profligate spending
and apparent profiteering at the nonprofit agency. According
to mandatory financial filings, it has run surpluses of up
to $2 million in recent years and the six top executives,
primarily retired school administrators, collectively earn
more than $615,000, in addition to public pensions of up to
$92,000.
Most recently, detractors have attacked
the NJSIAA for spending $24,000 in June 2004 to send 14
people, including the spouses of five staff members, to a
conference in San Diego. Other costs critics decry include a
$942 dinner for executives at Harry Carey's restaurant, a
Chicago eatery founded by the legendary sports
announcer.
The statutes governing the NJSIAA and
other private organizations regulating extra-curricular
activities, NJSA 18A:11-3 and 11-4, appeared to contradict
Forsyth and give Librera power to require annual spending
reports and to investigate the agency.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli,
D-Gloucester, said he has commissioned the nonpartisan
Office of Legislative Services to clarify the requirements.
Burzichelli, the single most vocal critic of the nonprofit
agency, has also asked for the State Commission on
Investigation to conduct public hearings on the
allegations.
"The statute appears to be contradictory
to (Forsyth's) point," Burzichelli said. "The question
remains who in the end should have been
baby-sitting."
He continued: "We have a not-for-profit
entity now subject to allegations of abuse in collecting
money on high school athletics. Whatever oversight we
thought was in place clearly didn't work."
Burzichelli ushered NJSIAA reform
legislation throughout the lower house but it later stalled
in the Senate, where Senate President and acting Gov.
Richard Codey would not post it for a vote.
Codey, one of the 50 members of the
agency's governing board, declined to comment on the matter
Tuesday.
Executive Director Boyd Sands, who earns
$143,000 from the NJSIAA and collects a $90,000 pension as
former superintendent of Delsea Regional High School
District, could not be reached for comment.
The agency's automated phone system was
down for a second day and an attempt to reach him through
his son was unsuccessful.
Sands, who is set to retire in January,
stands to cash in $97,333 worth of unused sick days,
according to The Record of Hackensack.
The agency's second in command, James
Loper, is also set to step down in January. He will cash in
$82,824 in unused sick time.
Terrence Dopp is Trenton correspondent for The
Express-Times. He can be reached at 609-292-5154 or by
e-mail at tdopp@sjnewsco.com. Sports writer Mike Weilamann
can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at
mweilamann@express-times.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
|