Ex-union prez takes leave in Project Veritas aftermath
HAMILTON » The former leader of the Hamilton Township teachers union who got suspended for making inappropriate comments to an undercover newswoman is now on official leave with the possibility of never returning to the classroom.
The school board on Wednesday placed David Perry on a leave of absence effective May 2. Employees usually provide an expected return date before going on leave, but that is not the case with Perry. He will officially be on leave “until further notice,” which means it is unknown when and if Perry will return to work.
Perry, who became Hamilton Township Education Association president in July 2016, has been a longtime teacher in the district since September 1987. Hamilton Superintendent of Schools Scott Rocco previously suspended him effective May 2, the same date when video emerged of Perry making eyebrowraising statements on how he can “bend the truth” to protect teachers who hit students.
Perry stepped down from his union leadership position earlier this month. “I can confirm that David Perry resigned as HTEA president effective Thursday, May 3,” a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association previously told The Trentonian via email.
The former union head refers to himself as “Dr. David R. Perry” and previously boasted about having a Ph.D., but The Trentonian has been unable to verify his doctorate and unable to confirm whether he has authored a dissertation.
The Hamilton Township School District as of Monday had “no documentation demonstrating experiential qualification for a salary adjustment based upon training/education level” for Perry, according to district officials, which means the district had no proof of Perry being a doctor of philosophy.
Perry’s title as of Monday was officially listed as “Teacher BA,” which is the designation of a teacher with a bachelor’s degree. If a teacher presents the district with proof of having attained a master’s degree or doctoral degree, the teacher would be entitled to a salary increase and public records would document the teacher’s highest level of education.
The Trentonian last week submitted an Open Public Records Act request asking the school administration to provide full institutional details and documentation concern Perry’s higher-education background, but the district responded Tuesday by indicating it has no such documentation.
After effectively getting fired as the Steinert boys head basketball coach, Perry recited his résumé in public comments at an August 2015 Hamilton school board meeting, saying he was a teacher for 35 years and received a Ph.D. in June of that year. He did not give specifics regarding his doctoral degree, which could have been an honorary degree or an unrecognized degree from an unaccredited program.
The Trentonian has been trying to reach Perry for comment since his controversial Project Veritas statements came to light, but he has not responded to the newspaper’s inquiries, including questions asking him to explain why the school district has no proof of him attaining a doctorate.
One thing is clear: The district has no documentation and would never have any documentation of Perry getting a Ph.D. if he never earned one in the first place. Perry’s annual salary as of Monday was $84,719, according to the district.
Project Veritas, an undercover news organization led by muckraker James O’Keefe, used deceit and bogus plotlines to bait Perry into making controversial and indefensible statements during a secretly recorded encounter on March 27.
The operative, who went by the fictitious name Joyce Miller, told Perry a false story that her imaginary brother in-law physically assaulted a student several weeks ago. That is when Perry talked about how he has defended “the worst teachers in the world” and how he could “bend the truth” to protect the imaginary employee from assault charges.
The proverbial 800-pound gorilla in the room at Wednesday’s school board meeting was the fallout over Perry’s inappropriate comments as exposed by Project Veritas.
One district parent, Diana Gould, gave public comments Wednesday asking the school board what was Perry’s status after the secretly recorded video went viral, saying that “was just atrocious.”
Rocco, the superintendent of schools, said he “unfortunately” could not speak about that matter due to it being a personnel issue.
But the school board operated almost below the radar as it passed a motion approving Perry’s leave of absence. The school board agenda did not indicate whether Perry’s indefinite leave will be paid or unpaid.
Perry’s resignation as HTEA president comes at a time when the 1,600-member union is negotiating for new contracts that would give pay raises to teachers, nurses, custodians, librarians and other support staff. The current HTEA contract expires June 30.
Hamilton school board member Richard Kanka on Wednesday said the board’s negotiations committee had to postpone one of its previously scheduled meetings with HTEA negotiators due to personnel issues, presumably a reference to Perry’s May 2 suspension that shook the union to the core.
The board’s negotiations committee, however, has met with HTEA negotiators last week and “moved forward” on several sticking points, Kanka said, but more work needs to be done before an agreement is reached.
Kanka said the school board’s negotiations committee has several more meetings scheduled with HTEA in hopes of settling a labor contract by June 30.