11-count ethics complaint dismissed

The New Jersey School Ethics Commission has dismissed all 11 counts in a complaint filed Dec. 6, 2023, by Hardyston school board member Michele Van Allen alleging that fellow member Anthony Alfano violated several sections of the School Ethics Act.

On June 17, the commission dismissed each count because of “insufficient facts and circumstances presented.”

The allegations included:

• Alfano sharing a post on social media from the Sussex County Republican Committee in support of three candidates for the upcoming Board of Education election.

• Alfano sharing a link on his social media account to a political fundraising event, encouraged people to join, and “announce(d) he (would) be receiving an award, as well as the other Kid’s First candidates at the event for advocating for parental rights.”

• That Alfano used his position on the board to obtain an award, gift and recognition from the Sussex County Republican Committee and pushed the agenda of the political party and speakers from the event in a process to abolish Policy 5756, which provides protections for transgender students.

• That Alfano read a statement at a board meeting regarding the need to abolish Policy 5756 at the urging of the Sussex Republicans because it “mirrored the talking points” from the award ceremony.

• Alfano sharing a link on social media that questioning the state-mandated health curriculum.

• Alfano posting the award that he received from the Sussex Republicans on social media and links for the agenda of the next school board meeting encouraging the public to come to the meeting.

• That Alfano voted against a motion to table abolishing Policy 5756 so the school board could receive legal advice.

• That Alfano said at a board meeting that teachers would abuse an updated sick policy to take a sick day to go to the beach and told the superintendent that he does not answer to the teachers but rather to the taxpayers.

• Alfano posting endorsements on his social media page for school board candidates and denouncing the required health education standards.

• That Alfano “called the school’s budget ‘bloated’ and stated more than 50 percent of the students are failing on social media.”

• Alfano sharing a post indicating how each board member voted at the previous night’s meeting on the motion to table Policy 5756 “indefinitely.”