By Patricia Alex, Staff Writer, The Record
The longtime, outspoken president of the faculty union at Bergen Community College was suspended without pay Thursday over allegations that he enlisted others to tamper with his granddaughter’s grades.
Helff’s attorney, Robert Fagella, said his client had been “targeted,” and warned that the trustees “are going to be in for a real fight.”
The sanctions were levied after a five-month investigation by former Superior Court Judge Ross Anzaldi in which 27 people were interviewed, said John Schepisi, the attorney for the board. The trustees took action based on a report prepared by Anzaldi.
“It’s apparent that there was a flagrant violation by Peter Helff of policies and procedures for his benefit and the benefit of his granddaughter,” said Malcolm Curtis, head of the board’s personnel committee.
Fagella said Schepisi denied him a copy of the report, which has not yet been made public.
“You’ve placed us in a situation in which it’s impossible to defend ourselves,” Fagella told the board. Schepisi said the report would be available within a few days, although the board took public action on it Thursday.
At the meeting, the normally voluble Helff gave only a brief statement: “I’ve been here 42 years and I’ve been a target for most of them.”
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