I/M/O the Certificates of Brett Holeman, Etc.

CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedMay 16, 2024
DocketA-3859-21
StatusUnpublished

This text of I/M/O the Certificates of Brett Holeman, Etc. (I/M/O the Certificates of Brett Holeman, Etc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-3859-21

IN THE MATTER OF THE CERTIFICATES OF BRETT HOLEMAN, STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. _____________________________

Submitted April 30, 2024 – Decided May 16, 2024

Before Judges Natali and Bergman.

On appeal from the New Jersey Commissioner of Education, Docket No. 8-11/21A.

Brett Holeman, appellant pro se.

Matthew J. Platkin, attorney for respondent Commissioner of Education (Melissa H. Raksa, Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Sadia Ahsanuddin, Deputy Attorney General, on the brief).

PER CURIAM

Appellant Brett Holeman appeals from a June 23, 2022 final agency

decision of the New Jersey Acting Commissioner of Education (the

Commissioner) that upheld a determination by the New Jersey State Board of Examiners (Board of Examiners) to suspend his school psychologist certificate

for six months. After a thorough review and consideration of the record, the

parties' arguments, and the applicable legal principles, we affirm the Acting

Commissioner's decision as it is supported by the evidence and appellant makes

no showing it is arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable.

I.

Appellant began working as a school psychologist for the Freehold

Regional High School District Board of Education (the Board) in 2004, and

obtained tenure in 2007. At all relevant times, he held a New Jersey Department

of Education school psychologist standard certificate.

A series of events in the spring of 2016 led to the deterioration of the

relationship between appellant and school staff and administration. After it

received complaints related to appellant's purported improper behavior, the

Board sent appellant a memorandum informing him of the allegations and the

scheduling of an investigatory conference.

In its memorandum, the Board maintained appellant: (1) "[e]ngaged in

inappropriate behavior (. . . comments, language and expressions), including the

use of profanity, reference to sexual activity in front of students[, and] the use

of extreme volume with students and parents within a confidential counseling

A-3859-21 2 environment;" (2) "[m]ade repeated derogatory and demeaning remarks about

and to colleagues and supervisors;" (3) "[e]ngaged in erratic and concerning

behaviors that intruded into and unnecessarily disrupted the workplace of

colleagues;" (4) "[j]eopardized the State mandated testing environment to which

he was assigned;" (5) "[d]emonstrated an overall lack of respect for authority;"

and (6) "[d]isregarded the [Board]'s organizational plan and failed to observe or

use proper chain of command when raising issues or concerns." Following the

conference, the Board placed appellant on administrative leave and directed him

to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and drug screening.1

In August 2016, the Board brought tenure charges against appellant in

which it again expressed "concerns" with his "erratic, volatile, and overall

troubling behavior." The Board also detailed "a series of inappropriate and

unethical conduct and behavior that dates back as far . . . as [appellant's] initial

application for employment." After unsuccessful efforts to amicably resolve the

dispute, an arbitrator conducted hearings over twelve days between January and

March 2017 to address the tenure charges.

1 The record indicates appellant's psychological evaluation determined him fit to return to work, and his drug test was negative. A-3859-21 3 The arbitrator rendered an Award (Award) sustaining many of the charges

and the Board subsequently terminated appellant from his position. The

arbitrator concluded appellant "engaged in inappropriate behavior as a school

counselor and a professional, habitually making disparaging and demeaning

remarks about colleagues, staff members and administration, and fail [ed] to

meet his professional obligations to special education students." He also found

appellant "accepted a counseling fee from the parents of a then current student

in 2013," and noted he admitted using "his Freehold Borough High School email

address on occasion to set up or manage appointments for his private counseling

practice."

Further, the arbitrator concluded appellant violated a student's

confidentiality by sharing information about the student with his wife. While

the arbitrator never found appellant had an inappropriate relationship with any

student, he commented the content of certain emails appellant sent to students

"could have been more carefully thought out." In addition, the arbitrator

determined appellant "did not always exercise good judgment, especially in

regard to comments concerning colleagues and administrators." He also noted

appellant "omitted his brief employment with the West Morris Regional High

School on his application," but characterized the charge as "stale," and noted the

A-3859-21 4 Board could have, but did not, inquire about the prior employment when

appellant applied for his position.

In sum, the arbitrator concluded, "[t]he statements and testimony

contained in the hearing record show a breakdown in [appellant's] relationship

with colleagues and administrators," and reasoned it would be inappropriate to

reinstate appellant to his prior position because "[i]n order to effectively serve

the needs of students it is important that the Guidance Department function free

of conflict" and the "record indicates irrevocable differences between the

administration, staff members," directly caused by appellant's conduct.

Appellant filed an order to show cause seeking to vacate the Award in the

Chancery Division. After considering the parties' submissions and oral

arguments, the court rejected appellant's application and confirmed the Award.

In doing so, the court found the arbitrator applied the correct legal standard, did

not violate N.J.S.A. 2A:24-8, the evidence established that plaintiff engaged in

misconduct, termination was appropriate, and there was no violation of public

policy.

Appellant then challenged the court's decision before us and argued the

Award should be vacated as it was procured by undue means; the arbitrator

exceeded or imperfectly executed his powers in applying the proper standard

A-3859-21 5 and burden of proof; the Award was not based on substantial credible evidence;

and the Award was inconsistent with public policy. We rejected appellant's

arguments and affirmed. See Holeman v. Freehold Regional High School

District Board of Education, No. A-1778-17 (App. Div. Nov. 29, 2018).

In doing so, we expressly found there was "sufficient credible evidence in

the record by which the arbitrator could have decided that plaintiff engaged in

unbecoming conduct." We specifically cited to the arbitration record where one

of appellant's former colleagues testified she had concerns referring future

students to appellant due to his inappropriate actions toward students.

We also noted a Freehold Regional Education Association representative

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