In the Matter of Patricia Gerris, Board of Education of the Borough of Lake Como, Monmouth County, 8/10/2020, (#167-20SEC)

167-20SEC
SEC Dkt. No. T26-19 (https://www.state.nj.us/education/legal/ethics/training/2020/T26-19.pdf)
Agency Dkt. No. 150-6/20
New Jersey Commissioner of Education
Final Decision
In the Matter of Patricia Gerris,
Board of Education of the Borough of
Lake Como, Monmouth County.
The Commissioner has reviewed the record of this matter and the decision of the
School Ethics Commission (SEC), finding that respondent violated the School Ethics Act for
failure to timely complete board member training in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 and
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-4.1. 	The 	SEC’s 	decision 	was 	forwarded 	to 	the 	Commissioner 	for 	final
determination on the recommended penalty pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-29(c). The SEC
recommended a sanction of removal effective upon the adoption of the decision by the
Commissioner. 	Alternatively, if the respondent completed the required training before the
issuance of the Commissioner’s final decision, the SEC recommended that respondent be
suspended for 30 days. Respondent has neither filed exceptions to the recommended penalty nor
instituted an appeal of the SEC’s underlying finding of violation pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:4-1
et seq.
Upon review, the Commissioner concurs with the penalty recommended by the
SEC for respondent’s failure to timely honor an obligation placed upon board members by law.

2
Accordingly, as of the date of this decision, respondent is removed from her position as a school
official for violating the School Ethics Act.
IT IS SO ORDERED.1
INTERIM COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Date of Decision: August 10, 2020
Date of Mailing: 	August 12, 2020
1 This decision may be appealed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court pursuant to P.L. 2008, c. 36
(N.J.S.A 18A:6-9.1).