Content of letters about alleged incident revealed Stampe asked Krieger to resign with 'regret' and 'a heavy heart' BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer ALLENTOWN - Inappropriate language is a national concern these days, whether it is the ousting of Don Imus from his radio show after he made racially insensitive comments or the backlash against rap-music lyrics. Locally, Howard Krieger remains a member of the Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education, despite allegedly uttering a racial slur against a local emergency room doctor at the Feb. 7 board meeting. Dr. Arun Singh alleged that Krieger made an obscene gesture and used a racial slur toward him after Singh made public comments at the meeting. The board censured Krieger on Feb. 21 based on the allegation that he used inappropriate language. The board voted 7-0 to censure Krieger, but did not ask him to resign at that time. Krieger has denied making the gesture and said that he was saying to himself, "Don't be a [expletive] hothead" instead of what witnesses alleged that he said. Before the board went into closed session on Feb. 21 to discuss the matter, Singh said he found it "a travesty" that Krieger was still sitting on the board. "Howard Krieger called me a dothead two times," Singh alleged. "I have eyewitnesses who will testify under oath." Singh demanded a full public apology and asked for Krieger's letter of resignation from the board to specifically state that he would resign for making a racially insensitive comment. The Board of Education can only vote to remove one of its members if the member has missed three consecutive meetings. Krieger has missed some board meetings since the alleged incident. However, interim Superintendent of Schools Robert Smith said that Krieger's absences from the April 11 and April 16 meetings have been excused. Although nonattendance is the only legally binding reason a board member can be removed from office, on Wednesday, March 21, the Board of Education passed a nonbinding resolution instructing Board of Education President Joseph Stampe to send Krieger a letter asking him to resign without condition. Board members voted 5-4 to ask for Krieger's resignation, with the vote falling along municipal lines. All Upper Freehold members of the Upper Freehold Regional School Board voted in favor of the resolution, while the Allentown members and Millstone representative voted against it. In the letter Stampe sent to Krieger dated March 26, Stampe wrote, "It is with regret and a heavy heart that I write this letter to you on behalf of the Board of the Education." The letter further states, "Your service to the Board of Education for these past four years has been exemplary. You are an outstanding member of the community, assisting with PTA fundraisers and with regard to your involvement with Little League and other organizations." Stampe continued, "These past several weeks should not tarnish all you have done, and I am sure will continue to do, for our community. Please consider this letter carefully and thoughtfully." Krieger's response, apparently erroneously dated March 20, stated that he was considering Stampe's request but needed time to consult with his family, attorney and the New Jersey School Boards Association. In the letter, Krieger asked to be excused from the next few board meetings until he could consider his options. Krieger stated in the letter that he considered board member Steve Murphy's motion to ask for his resignation "bizarre and highly unethical." "After serving with him on the board for four years, he made this motion without ever giving me the courtesy of speaking to me in order to hear my side of the story and instead relied on hearsay evidence," Krieger wrote in the letter. Murphy said he does not understand why Krieger thinks his motion was "bizarre and unethical." "Especially after the board voted unanimously on March 21 to censure Mr. Krieger," Murphy said, adding that the board did so upon advice from its attorney, Vi Lordi, who told the board censure is the harshest action a board could take on a member. "Mr. Stampe claimed in the meeting on March 21, that he and other members had approached Howard and asked him to resign," Murphy said. "I felt the community deserved to know which members of the board felt Mr. Krieger should step down due to his actions, and which members were willing to tolerate such abhorrent behavior." Krieger also wrote in the letter that board member Jeanette Bressi seconded the motion and originally brought the alleged slur to the board's attention, but did not give him the courtesy of hearing the full side of his story "as she walked out of the closed session discussion in the middle of it, when we were discussing the matter." Although Krieger's letter states that Bressi seconded the motion, Vice President Lisa Herzer actually made the second, according to Business Administrator Viola Yosifon. Bressi said, "Before Mr. Krieger starts putting comments in writing, he should get his facts straight. I mentioned before the meeting that I had a time constraint due to a child care conflict. Before I left the meeting I gave my full testimony to the board, Dr. Smith and the board's attorney. When there were no further questions for me, I left to care for my children." Bressi said she did not want to speak to the board about the issue, but that the superintendent "personally requested that I speak with the board and the board's attorney about what I witnessed." In his response letter, Krieger also alleges that Murphy's and Bressi's motives "are less than honorable and are in fact political in nature." "Their actions have tarnished their service to this board in my eyes, as well as in the eyes of much of the community," he wrote. In response, Bressi said, "Why is he singling out me and Mr. Murphy when the majority of the board voted to ask for his resignation? Perhaps it is Mr. Krieger who is playing politics here." She continued, "Mr. Krieger's comments are simply a lame attempt to take the attention away from his own disgraceful behavior." Bressi said the only thing that is "less than honorable" about the situation are "Krieger's behavior and his unwillingness to accept the will of the majority of the board which asked for his resignation." Murphy said he is disappointed in the way the board handled the matter. "Mr. Stampe stated that this was the hardest vote he had to make," Murphy said. "I have served with Mr. Krieger for four years and seen him do many wonderful things for the community. However, this was one of the easiest decisions for me." He continued, "These actions should not be tolerated by the board, and the appropriate thing would be for [Krieger] to step down." When contacted about the content of the letters, Singh said he did not want to comment at this time. Krieger said nothing has changed regarding the situation since he wrote the letter to the board.