Board: No confidence Phillipsburg school board takes vote on superintendent. Pethick calls action 'pathetic'. Tuesday, April 17, 2007 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | A divided school board Monday night gave Superintendent Gordon Pethick a vote of "no confidence" over stalled teachers contract negotiations. The 6-5 vote came at the request of board member Kevin DeGerolamo, chairman of the board's Negotiating Committee. DeGerolamo announced a state ethics complaint filed against him by Pethick and Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline Attinello had been dismissed by the state Department of Education. The complaint alleged DeGerolamo's discussions with other board members were detrimental. Pethick called the board's action pathetic. "My vote of confidence comes from when I look in the mirror," Pethick said in response. He defended his commitment to the board and the district. "I look at the commitment that some of the other people make and it's pathetic," Pethick said. DeGerolamo demanded an apology but Attinello and Pethick said one is not coming. "We did what we felt was right; we had some serious questions about his actions," Attinello said. It was the second time since the contract with the teachers union expired that Pethick has been called out by board members. The last time came in November. Attinello noted that grumblings about Pethick's contract started after the complaint was filed last fall and insinuated that it may have been revenge. Pethick earns $141,000 a year as superintendent. DeGerolamo accused Pethick of effectively freezing the negotiations with the complaint. Pethick and Attinello filed the complaint Oct. 13 after the board and teachers reached an impasse. Voting for the statement of no confidence were Paul Rummerfield, DeGerolamo, Vice President Thomas McGuire, Sal Patti, Jim Hanisak and Bernie Brotzman. Frank Kish, Bob Brennan, Stanley Hughes, Karen Murray and Chafik Zarbatany voted no. Board member Christopher Wittman was absent Monday night. "The fact (Attinello and Pethick) went down there on school time and taxpayer money is bad business," Hanisak said. Pethick took umbrage at the charges. "If you're telling me I held up negotiations, it's a sad situation for the board," Pethick said. "People know what I stand for and know of my integrity. It's an attempt to deflect some of the issues towards me." Zarbatany rushed to Pethick's defense. "If anyone is holding up negotiations, it's the committee," Zarbatany said. The complaint filed by Pethick and Attinello claims that prior to a Sept. 19 meeting, DeGerolamo called three other unnamed members of the school board to talk about the negotiations. Attinello and Pethick alleged DeGerolamo's actions could have compromised negotiations. Board President Rummerfield said what DeGerolamo did was a common practice and the state ethics committee's decision notes that. Rummerfield agreed that the complaint had a chilling effect on negotiations. The complaint decision states that at the Sept. 25 meeting DeGerolamo suggested the board offer the teachers a one-year contract with a 4 percent salary increase. Teachers and the board went to a mediation session, a move that failed. Now both sides will go through a fact-finding process. Phillipsburg Education Association President Barbara English had no comment Monday night. Reporter Daniel Hausmann can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at dhausmann@express-times.com. © 2007 The Express-Times. Used with permission.