Trial Date Set for Lawsuit Against BOE

A four-year-old dispute between a former school district transportation director and the is set to begin May 7 at the Morris County Courthouse.

The case involves Kathleen Warrick, who served as transportation director until 2008, when, according to school board member Anthony Mancuso, her contract expired and was not renewed.

According to a Star-Ledger report from October 2009, Warrick's suit contends that several BOE members conspired to have her fired after she urged the district to terminate its contract for school bus maintenance services with Hiawatha Towing, which is owned by board member Michael Strumolo.

Strumolo was not on the school board during the time his company serviced district buses.

The Star-Ledger report and a December piece in Parsippany Life say the legal action lists Nov. 4, 2008, as the date in which the BOE voted to terminate her employment.

Warrick named the Parsippany Board of Education, Strumolo and Hiawatha Towing in her legal actions.

The suit alleges that Strumolo, angry over the ending of his firm's contract with the district, urged Mancuso and fellow board members Dr. Louis Valori and Alan Gordon to get Warrick fired. The plaintiff also accuses Strumolo of telling school bus drivers and vendors that Mancuso and Valori would “make sure” Warrick was terminated.

Mancuso, who still sits on the school board, told Patch that the plaintiff's allegation against the BOE is baseless.

"Did Mike call me and say she should be fired? Absolutely," he said. "Did it work? Absolutely not."

Mancuso said he promptly informed Superintendent LeRoy Seitz of Strumolo's call, "which must be done in accordance with the state ethics statute."

"Outside of informing Dr. Seitz of Mike's call, I did nothing," he insisted.

Mancuso added that Warrick was not fired. He said Warrick's contract with the district expired, and the superintendent, for cause, decided not to renew it.

"Not renewing a contract is not the same as firing someone," he said, though he would not comment publicly about the cause.

"Once a contract ends there is no law that says you must renew it."

A request for information from Valori, who is no longer a BOE member, awaits a response.

Former board member last year.

Strumolo said he could not comment because of the matter being "in litigation."

Superior Court Judge David B. Rand will preside over the matter.