Superintendent Defends Interim Business Administrator

School District Superintendent James O'Neill has come under criticism by some for the recent hiring of Charles Milewski as the interim business administrator.

However, in an e-mail last week to Chatham Patch, O'Neill defended the district's decision to hire Milewski, who was sued by a former employee with the Madison School District where he previously worked.

"I believe from the research that I have done that Mr. Milewski is a talented, hard working business administrator," O'Neill wrote in the e-mail. "I will also report that he has been a complete gentleman every day he has been in the district. Everyone in the central office has only positive comments about Mr. Milewski."

Milewski, formerly the business administrator for the Madison School District, was named in a lawsuit by a former Madison School District employee, Joan Briel.

Briel alleged that Milewski commented that her slurred speech was due to alcohol consumption when in fact she had Multiple Sclerosis. According to the Independent Press, Briel further said that he berated her and gave her more work, and that Madison Superintendent Dr. Richard Noonan did not respond appropriately to her complaints.

The lawsuit was recently settled for $412,500. A judge also awarded $877,000 in attorney's fees last month.

When Milewski announced his retirement from the Madison School District in December 2009, Madison Patch reported that Noonan said, "When Chuck came to the district, Madison was facing some considerable fiscal challenges. Consistently in his time with us our audits have been strong, our financial situation has improved markedly. ... I just wanted to thank him for his service to the district for all those years and wish him luck in retirement."

Milewski officially retired from the Madison School District on June 30. On Aug. 16, the Chatham Board of Education voted by resolution to hire him as the Interim Business Administrator/Board Secretary at the rate of $550 per day until a permanent replacement is found.

O'Neill said in situations like this, the lawsuit and the media "often [quote] only one side of the story," though he added that he was not privy to many of the details.

O'Neill said he was in the process of finding a permanent business administrator to replace Ralph Goodwin, who has retired. However, when Gov. Chris Christie started talking about salary caps for top school administrators over the summer, O'Neill said the candidates for business administrator were "unwilling" to move forward with the interview process until the issue was resolved.

"I have every confidence that Mr. Milewski will serve the district well as we continue our search for a permanent business administrator," O'Neill said. "I have no further comment on the issue."

Milewski did not respond to requests for comment.