'Super pooper' school superintendent resigns from post, sues police department for $1 million
A school superintendent from New Jersey who was arrested in May for allegedly going "number 2" on the track and football field of Holmdel High School has resigned from his post, but is reportedly suing the local police department for $1 million in damages.
According to the Holmdel Township Police Department, the Kenilworth Board of Education confirmed in an online statement that Thomas Tramaglini resigned three months after he was charged with "lewdness, littering, and defecating in public". After he was arrested, Tramaglini had initially been granted a paid leave.
The statement read: "Since February 2016, Dr. Thomas Tramaglini has been serving as Superintendent of Schools in Kenilworth. His current contract with the Kenilworth Board of Education extends until July 1, 2020. Based on events unrelated to his service for Kenilworth, it has become clear to both Dr. Tramaglini and the Kenilworth Board of Education that his continued service as Superintendent of Schools has become too much of a distraction to the main mission of the district."
It continued: "In recognition of this fact, and in an effort to avoid legal fees and expensive litigation, and in the best interests of all concerned, including the faculty, staff, and students of the Kenilworth School District, Dr. Tramaglini has tendered, and the Board has accepted, his resignation effective September 30, 2018."
PEOPLE reported that Tramaglini's attorney shared a long statement on his client's behalf on what seems to be his Twitter account. He wrote: "This was not a decision that was made lightly, but Dr. Tramaglini does not want present and future legal proceedings unrelated to his official duties to the district to present a distraction to the important job that the teachers and administrators in the district have educating children."
The statement continued: "Dr. Tramaglini wishes the Kenilworth public school system nothing but the best, and he especially thanks the faculty and staff of the district’s schools for their tireless dedication to their students. [He] will continue to fight the allegations made against him in Holmdel, and will also hold those responsible for the malicious narrative that has been spread about him to account for their misconduct. No aspect of this difficult decision should be construed as an acknowledgment of guilt. Dr. Tramaglini is steadfast in his resolve, and looks forward to the day when his story is told."
Tramaglini had served as the superintendent of the Kenilworth Public Schools in New Jersey, which is a school district neighboring Holmdel High School, since 2016. The school he worked with falls under the jurisdiction of the Holmdel Township Public School District. The latest news, according to court documents that were obtained by the Ashbury Park Press, is that Tramaglini's attorney has filed a notice against the Holmdel Township Police Department.
The news outlet reported that the former superintendent is looking to get "in excess of $1 million, which includes, but is not limited to, the reasonable financial loss of income, harm to reputation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and intrusion on seclusion" because he made allegations that the authorities had "unlawfully photographed" him for his public mugshot.