We are hearing from credible inside sources that Ms. Bradford is making impactful decisions on the superintendent search independent of the BOE majority.   

She has allowed remote interviews for candidates but is preventing BOE members from conducting Superintendent interviews remotely to advance candidates she and Ms. Stanley favor.

Check that.

She is only allowing remote interviews for three BOE candidates, while the rest must attend in-person-potentially putting the District in legally questionable waters.

Consider that she has unilaterally allowed Ms. Stanley and Ms. Hufnagel access to executive sessions through Zoom yet is preventing other BOE members from the same privilege.

Additionally, we are hearing that the NJBSA did not provide the Board of Education with the schedule for interviews on 08/12/2024 until the afternoon of that day.

So no schedule for BOE Members to plan around and the removal of a remote option in the event someone cannot make the 11th hour interview due to personal or work obligations.

This seems like an anti-democratic attempt to force a decision on a candidate that does not reflect the elected majority of the Board and represents a shocking abuse of power in her role.

It is also reasonable to ask if this is about setting the stage for the same manufactured chaos on this critical decision that her supporters created around the election of board president and transportation, aiding a ticket connected to the same special interests Ms. Bradford supports who appear to adopt similar tactics.

This is not the first time Ms. Bradford has come under fire for an authoritarian approach to her position as BOE President. During her very first meeting, the community and guests of the BOE watched in horror as she openly and unapologetically shut down and bullied BOE members she disagreed with in a manner wholly inconsistent with the powers her position is vested with. Multiple emails to the County Superintendent who appointed her seem to have influenced her on-camera persona but not her behind-the-scenes behavior.

Read All Articles on BOE Agendas and Meetings

Reach Out to the Berkeley Heights Board of Education

Subscribe to NJ21st For Free