HOLMDEL, NJ – A lawsuit filed by Marie Deane, an employee of the Holmdel School District and executive secretary to the superintendent of schools, claims former interim superintendent Leroy Teitz of multiple charges of sexual harassment.
After being appointed to the position in June of 2021, Tietz resigned from the position in December.
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Deane’s 60-page complaint filed in New Jersey’s Special Civil Court highlights multiple alleged sexual harassment events and inappropriate behavior instances.
The following excerpts are from the lawsuit filed on March 15th.
The Lap Dance
Indeed, on or about September 24, 2021, Defendant Seitz informed Defendant Holmdel BOE’s Interim Director of Student Services, Dr. Carolyn Marano (“Dr. Marano”), in Plaintiff’s presence, that several women who had attended a recent meeting with him dressed provocatively in an attempt to persuade him on various topics discussed at said meeting. On another occasion shortly thereafter, Defendant Seitz stated to Dr. Marano in Plaintiff’s presence that while a female hairstylist was cutting his hair during a recent hair cut, he had a “good view when she was leaning over in front of him cutting his hair and it would have been great to have a lap dance.”
Pedophiles on Staff in Holmdel School District?
Defendant Seitz’s vile comments were not only directed towards Defendant Holmdel BOE’s staff members; indeed, he also directed such remarks towards students themselves. Specifically, on October 18, 2021, Defendant Seitz inappropriately discussed a school nurse’s concern with a parent request to provide cream to a student’s genital area. During the conversation, which was again in Plaintiff’s presence, Defendant Seitz stated to Dr. Marano, “Oh come on Carolyn, we’ve got to have several pedophiles on staff that would volunteer to put Desitin on the child, haha. I want to see the job description for this, haha.”
Workplace Retaliation
When Plaintiff reported Defendant Seitz for his egregiously harassing and discriminatory comments, she quickly found herself subjected to a torrent of retaliation. Indeed, after Plaintiff’s complaints, Defendant Holmdel BOE forced Plaintiff to work from home while Defendant Seitz, remarkably, suffered no consequences and/or discipline whatsoever. While Plaintiff worked from home, Defendant Seitz gained possession of Plaintiff’s passwords to her work accounts and rummaged through her accounts in an attempt to ascertain the details of Plaintiff’s complaint about his harassing and discriminatory comments. Even worse, Defendant Seitz ultimately locked Plaintiff out of her work accounts, effectively prohibiting her from completing her work assignments. Rather than take appropriate action to address Defendant Seitz’s conduct, Defendant Holmdel BOE instead unilaterally transferred Plaintiff from her prestigious role as a Confidential Secretary in Defendant Holmdel BOE’s Central Office to a Secretary position for an Assistant Principal of Holmdel High School. This caused Plaintiff not only severe emotional distress, but also, severely impacted her future earning potential.
“Despite her demonstrated ability to maintain the very highest level of job performance, Plaintiff was ultimately subject to an intolerable hostile work environment rife with sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation by Defendant Seitz, Defendant Holmdel BOE’s Interim Superintendent of Schools at that time,” the lawsuit claims. “
You can view the entire lawsuit here.