Saddle River school superintendent fights one-year suspension of certificates

SADDLE RIVER — School Superintendent Gina Cinotti is seeking a stay while she appeals the one-year suspension of her teaching and administrative certificates.

The suspension was ordered by the state Department of Education State Board of Examiners after a six-year investigation of charges filed against her by her previous employer, the Netcong School District in May 2018.

The 12-page Order of Suspension , adopted by the Board of Examiners on June 27 outlines a back-and-forth history of charges and counter charges filed by the district and Cinotti. She served four years with the Netcong district, three as chief school administrator, before leaving the district in June 2018 to join the Saddle River School District as its superintendent.

"The New Jersey Commissioner of Education has held the suspension in abeyance pending his review of Dr. Cinotti's application for a stay," Saddle River school board President Emily Kaufman said on Monday. "He has advised that Dr. Cinotti can remain serving as the district's superintendent while her stay application is under review."

Meanwhile, Kaufman said, the school board is working closely with the Bergen County executive superintendent and its legal counsel to "take all necessary steps to ensure that the Wandell School is fully prepared to welcome back our students" in September.

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In an emailed statement to Northjersey.com/The Record, Cinotti wrote: "I am currently in litigation and unable to comment at this time."

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According to a March 15 initial decision by Administrative Law Judge Kimberly Moss, the Netcong School District had 20 superintendents in 25 years and was "extremely difficult to work with" when Cinotti was made chief school administrator in July 2015, after she served as principal for nine months.

The Netcong Board of Education certified these five tenure charges against Cinotti in March 2018:

• Conduct unbecoming to the Netcong Board of Education
• Authorizing payment to a teacher for home instruction canceled on short notice
• Proposing to place all Learning Language Disabled students out of district to resolve a space shortage, in violation of students' Individualized Education Program and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• Distributing Rice notices to employees about pending Netcong Board of Education review over the signature of the district's business administrator without his permission
• Sharing confidential legal information with a teacher whose contract was not renewed, and blind-copying her brother on internal emails with the Netcong Board of Education even though he was not a district employee.

Cinotti entered into a settlement with the Netcong Board and resigned from her position, but later denied any wrongdoing.

The State Board of Examiners reviewed the tenure matter in May 2018 and issued an order to show cause to Cinotti in June 2018 asking why her certificates should not be revoked. Because of pending civil litigation, the order to show cause was held in abeyance.

The Board of Examiners transmitted the matter to the Office of Administrative Law in June 2021. Hearings were held In November and December 2022, March and July 2023. The record was closed in February.

Moss's initial decision dismissed three of the five charges, recommending a letter of reprimand was in order for the remaining two, and that "suspension or revocation of a teaching certificate was not warranted in this case."

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The Board of Examiners essentially agreed with Moss' ruling, but not the penalty. Their finding was that "Cinotti engaged in unbecoming conduct" by copying her brother on internal emails, signing another person's name without permission, authorizing payment to a teacher for instruction she did not provide, and outsourcing disabled students.

These actions "had the potential to compromise the operation of the public school," and required a more severe penalty, the Board of Examiners ruled. They ordered Cinotti's certificates suspended for a year.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saddle River school superintendent fights one-year suspension of certificates