N.J. superintendent gets $400K after fight with school district over ‘toxic’ work environment

Officials in a Bergen County school district voted earlier this month to pay the now-former superintendent $400,000 to settle her lawsuit and buy out her contract.

The Westwood Regional Board of Education held a 13-minute emergency meeting Sept. 5 to approve the settlement to former superintendent Jill Mortimer and appoint an acting superintendent to replace her.

Armen McOmber, an attorney representing Mortimer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mortimer alleged an “overwhelmingly toxic and hostile work environment” in her lawsuit filed June 7 in Bergen County Superior Court.

Mortimer also previously announced her retirement in 2023, then rescinded the decision last year after the school district offered the job to a finalist.

Westwood School Board President Jay Garcia sent NJ Advance Media the letter the board sent to the community after the meeting, which thanked families for their patience amid the turbulence of the past year.

The settlement with Mortimer was “in the best interest of our district,” the letter said.

“Our goal is always to provide the best experience for our students and our school community,” the letter said. “We deeply value every stakeholder’s investment and do not take the tax dollars you contribute to supporting our schools for granted.”

Westwood Regional School District serves roughly 2,785 students in Westwood and Washington Township in Bergen County, according to state education data.

The motion to approve the settlement passed in a 5-1 vote with three abstentions. Two of the abstentions came from school board members named as defendants in Mortimer’s lawsuit.

Officials said the $400,000 payment included nearly $170,838 for the remaining two years of Mortimer’s contract as superintendent, and an additional $229,162 to settle the lawsuit.

If the board did not settle, Mortimer would have been owed her $257,000 salary for this year and a roughly 2.5% salary increase for next year, school district business administrator Keith Rosado said. The lawsuit would have also remained pending.

The board also voted 8-0 with one abstention to approve Bronwen Calderón, the district’s director of secondary education, as acting superintendent for a period of 90 days or until a new superintendent is appointed. Calderón’s appointment began Sept. 7.

Calderón will be paid a monthly stipend of $5,000 while serving as the acting superintendent.

Denise Vélez, the district’s director of elementary education, will be paid a $2,000 monthly stipend to assist Calderón as acting superintendent.

During the meeting’s public comment portion, a resident asked if the board is conducting a full search for the permanent superintendent.

“I don’t think we’re going to go, or need to go, in the avenue of sending out a full search, so we have some options,” said Garcia.

“There will be more information to come very soon,” he said.

The settlement caps a months-long dispute involving Mortimer and the board of education.

Mortimer, who had worked in the district for nearly a decade, became superintendent in August 2021. In August 2023, she announced her intention to retire, citing a desire to travel.

After she announced her decision, the board hired a consultant and began searching for a new superintendent. But, in April, both the board president and Mortimer’s attorney said she no longer intended to retire, despite the board already offering the job to a finalist.

Mortimer’s attorney previously alleged the board harassed and discriminated against her. The board also launched an unlawful retaliation campaign against her, he alleged.

The board of education previously alleged Mortimer had “unbecoming conduct” while on the job.