P'burg board defies chief, fires principal Tuesday, May 15, 2007 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | The Phillipsburg School Board defied Superintendent Gordon Pethick's recommendation Monday night and fired the principal at the Andover-Morris School. "This is a disgrace," Pethick said after the meeting. Jeanette Gilliland's contract will not be renewed after June 30. The action happened during a routine renewal of all educational personnel. Had the board renewed the third-year principal's contract, she would have been given tenure. Board President Paul Rummerfield said Gilliland displayed a pattern of inappropriate behavior. She was notified late last week that the board intended to discuss her employment status, and she chose to have that discussion held publicly. But her performance was never discussed publicly by the board during Monday's meeting. Tenure status gives educators more employment rights. Gilliland earned about $90,000 as the top administrator at the 250-student school, according to school business administrator Bill Poch. "If it wasn't a tenure year, we could have worked with the superintendent on her anger-management issue," Rummerfield said after the meeting. Two sources close to the situation said the district received at least 10 complaints from parents about Gilliland's treatment of students. Those sources also said Gilliland had not finished teacher evaluations. Gilliland sat in the back of the Phillipsburg Middle School cafeteria and was visibly upset after the meeting. She declined to comment Monday night. Rummerfield, Thomas McGuire, Kevin DeGerolamo, Jim Hanisak and Richard Turdo voted against renewing the contract. Stanley Hughes and Steve Zarbatany voted to rehire the embattled principal. The vote touched off a backlash from the audience. "That was a rude, sneaky, underhanded and appalling way to conduct board business," resident Helene Meissner said. "I hope that isn't a glimpse of things to come." Former board member and recent board candidate Irene Weller blasted board members. "It's a sad, sad day," Weller said. "Do you realize you're asking for a lawsuit?" Following the vote, Zarbatany encouraged Gilliland to get a lawyer, much to the displeasure of those who voted to fire her. Pethick shook his head in disgust during the next few action items. "It sets a bad precedent of where we could be going," Pethick said. "If there were issues, why weren't they brought to the superintendent?" Pethick defended Gilliland, saying test scores had been rising in her building despite the fact she had to make close to 30 referrals to the Division of Youth and Family Services. "She had a challenging school," Pethick said. "She's doing a very, very good job." 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.