Jason "Jay" Eitner has been on leave since Oct. 19 from his job as Waterford Twp. superintendent.
WATERFORD TWP. -- After a four-hour closed session meeting Monday, the Waterford Township Board of Education voted to extend Superintendent Jason Eitner's paid leave until the end of the year.
The decision was met with muttering and whispered curses from some of the 35 people -- mostly teachers -- who had waited in the Waterford Elementary School cafeteria for the board to announce its decision.
Some had hoped for more decisive action regarding Eitner, who has been accused by staff members of ageism and sexual harassment.
Jason Eitner poses with the Waterford schools wildcat logo while in Washington, D.C. for an educational summit in September. (Waterford Township Schools Facebook)After the vote and immediate adjournment, a woman who identified herself only as a parent and substitute teacher shouted at the board, "Why wouldn't you just let us all go home if you weren't going to tell us anything?"
The board had placed Eitner on administrative leave for 60 days on Oct. 19, and Monday's meeting was the 60th day. He has been the superintendent for just under a year and a half.
After the decision, Eitner, 37, of Mount Laurel, said the board essentially granted him another week of vacation. "It's more time to enjoy my family and relax," he said. Later, however, he lamented the wasted time. "It's another week I should be working for the children of Waterford."
He did not enter the meeting room Monday night but said he was at the school in case the board wanted to speak with him during their deliberations.
The board's decision and lengthy deliberation did not surprise him, he said, because they are divided as to their opinion of him.
In an interview Thursday, Eitner called the complaints "frivolous" and said they are part of a campaign by several teachers and board members to force him out.
"If everything that these board members were saying was true, I'd be sitting in Guantanamo," he said.
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The vote Monday was five in favor and three opposed. Voting for the motion to extend Eitner's leave were Board president Terri Chiddenton, Carol Friant, Dan Hoover, Kim Hurley, Robert Walsh and Maria Yeatman. The votes against the motion were from Francis DiRocco, Roseanna Iles and Eva Suriani.
It's not clear how many complaints have been filed by teachers against Eitner because affirmative action complaints filed by teachers are not public record.
However, three senior teachers have filed complaints with the Board of Education and with the state. They have also notified the district that they will be filing suit, seeking over $100,000 damages for age-related discrimination and sexual or gender harassment or discrimination, according to documents obtained through a public records request.
The Waterford Twp. Board of Education meets briefly before going into closed session at Waterford Elementary School Monday night. In their petitions to the Office of the Commissioner of Education, they alleged there have been "numerous allegations by over 25 staff members that Mr. Eitner was engaging in inappropriate behavior, sexual harassment, and age discrimination."
Eitner put the number of complaints much lower, saying it is just the three teachers who are repeatedly complaining about his behavior.
He said teachers who don't like his attitude, his evaluations of their performances or the sweeping changes he tried to implement are firing accusations at him, "and seeing what sticks."
The result has been several investigations of Eitner.
According to meeting minutes and previous comments from Eitner and Chiddenton, the board hired Verita LLC, a company that investigates matters for public bodies or agencies, in March to investigate fire alarm protocol following a false alarm in February.
By May, Verita was also investigating at least one other affirmative action complaint. In July, the board hired conflict counselor and attorney Lewis Lessig to look into similar issues and advise them.
It's not clear what the future will hold for Eitner after his leave is up Dec. 31. If the board schedules another special meeting on the final day of his leave, as it did Monday, it could vote to continue his leave, suspend him punitively or fire him. If the board does not take action, he will return to work.
The board's make-up will also change in the new year. The Newly-elected members are Michael Vitarelli, William A. Wilhelm and Al Pangia. DiRocco and Friant did not seek another term and Suriani's run for re-election was unsuccessful.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.