Community Corner

UPDATE: Habel, Brower Fired People To Cover Up Sex Abuse Case, Suit Claims

The employees say their job changes were part of a cover-up of a possible sex-abuse case that the two former Wall school officials failed to report

First, the courts spoke, saying Sandra Brower and James Habel broke the law.

Now their ex-employees have fired the next salvo, saying the former Wall school officials conspired to fire them, and therefore shield themselves in a cover-up of a possible sex-abuse case.

Three former Wall School District employees have sued former Assistant Superintendent Sandra Brower for wrongful termination or demotion, saying they were punished because they knew about Brower's alleged attempts to cover up a possible sex-abuse case.

The lawsuit, filed July 10 in state Superior Court in Monmouth County, also names former Wall Superintendent James F. Habel as a defendant. Brower, who is now Lacey superintendent, and Habel both have been indicted on misconduct charges in separate cases.

Brower was initially charged and arraigned in the case of failing to notify authorities of possible abuse in May 2009, when a 4-year-old Wall special needs student said a teacher took him into the bathroom at a “district special education school” and "inappropriately touched his privates," the Monmouth County indictment says. Brower has pleaded not guilty and refused to resign from Lacey, though she has been suspended without pay.

In the suit, three employees with knowledge of the potential cover-up - Tina Gordon, former Wall assistant superintendent; and Virginia Pagnoni and Stephanie Ham, two confidential secretaries - say they were terminated, transferred or forced to resign after the 2009 incident.

The suit says Brower "made false and misleading statements" to Wall police officers who were investigating the possible sex-abuse case. In an effort to conceal her involvement, Brower directed Wall school officials to "extract" emails from employees who had knowledge of the incident.

The suit says Habel, who has pleaded not guilty to charges including official misconduct, money laundering, theft and falsifying records, threatened each employee with termination, non-renewal of their contracts, tenure charges and the possibility of losing their pensions.

Efforts to obtain comment from Habel and Brower, as well as the plaintiff's attorneys, were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Lacey Board of Education members suspended Brower in May after
she was charged in an indictment with second-degree official misconduct, third-degree hindering apprehension and fourth-degree obstruction for failing to immediately report the Wall teacher's possible sexual assault while she was that district's assistant superintendent. 

Authorities have said Habel took more than $400,000 from the district by claiming he worked when he was actually out of state, and taking actions to falsify vacation and other records. Prosecutors also have charged him with mortgage fraud, based on statements he allegedly made to banks regarding the mortgages on his house in Florida and his previous home in Point Pleasant.

Brower's contract with the Lacey Township school district technically runs until July 1, 2016, although it could end sooner than that, Board Attorney Arthur Stein said.

"She is still in a contract," Stein said Tuesday. "We don't have the power to appoint another superintendent."

But depending upon court proceedings in Monmouth County, Brower's contract could end before that.


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