Montclair Board of Education approves Damen Cooper as new interim superintendent

MONTCLAIR ― The school board approved the appointment of Damen Cooper to interim superintendent during a special meeting held Monday night after the sudden death of the district’s previous executive, Dr. Jonathan Ponds, 10 days earlier.

Cooper currently serves as director of secondary education, overseeing curriculum for grades 6-12.

The appointment, which passed by a vote of 5-1, requires approval from Interim Executive County Superintendent Joseph Zarra. However, the confirmation seems all-but asured, as he had informally approved the choice ahead of Monday's vote, according to the board's legal counsel, Lester Taylor.

Cooper won the board's majority favor during a virtual meeting, which was also livestreamed over social media and broadcast on the township's public access channel. However, due to audio issues on the video call, a precise tally of votes was difficult to discern. Board President Melanie Deysher confirmed the tally following an executive session. Deysher also stated that Cooper will retain his current title while serving as interim.

Yvonne Bouknight abstained, as did Eric Scherzer, who said he had not yet reviewed Cooper's tentative contract. Sean Long was the only board member absent from the meeting.

Kathryn Weller-Demming offered the sole dissenting vote and said she was "deeply uncomfortable" with the board's choice of procedure and venue.

During an interview earlier that day, she lamented a lack of public conversations with parents and other stakeholders before a candidate was approved.

"The board did not serve as a bridge between the administration and the community to provide for transparency, communication and data driven decisions. Ultimately, that served no soul well," she said. "It doesn't have to be a meeting [but] there should be a process."

Only a couple members of the community spoke during the proceeding's public comment portion. A few more had signed up to offer statements, but seemed absent or unable to communicate over the conference app when called. Those who did, said nothing specific about Cooper.

Ponds died the morning of July 12, barely 24 hours after he was admitted to a hospital. His abrupt passing propelled district officials into a state of shock and grief.

"It’s a terrible loss," Board Member Brian Fleisher said shortly after having received the news.

More: GoFundMe launched for family of late Montclair Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds

Although Ponds served for just four years, his tenure endured longer than any previous chief administrator in the five years preceding his appointment in 2020. In that time, the district largely relied on a string of interim superintendents. The only full-time hire was Kendra Johnson, who held the post for a mere 14 months.

Cooper did not speak during the meeting's public portion, which began and concluded with executive sessions not aired over the live call.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Montclair Board of Education approves Damen Cooper as new interim superintendent