Tuesday, May 14, 2013

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com:


FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills

Subpoena issued for records back to '08 with special-ed provider

http://www.app.com/videonetwork/2379705053001/Fury-at-Lakewood-BOE-meeting
LAKEWOOD — The FBI has issued a subpoena to the Board of Education for contracts, bills and invoices dating back to 2008 with Catapult Learning, Catapult services and Ocean Health Initiatives, the board attorney announced during Monday night’s meeting.
Steve Edelstein, attorney for the school board, said the FBI’s subpoena also asked for invoices, board minutes, resolutions and agendas for the last five years. The subpoena requests all documents regarding the board’s interactions with Catapult Learning and Ocean Health Initiatives and includes current and former district employees involved with Catapult, Edelstein said.
Catapult Learning has a multimillion-dollar contract with the school board to provide special-education services at both public and private schools. Ocean Health Initiatives’ contract with the board could not be determined Monday; however, its website describes the company as providing “high quality, accessible and affordable family healthcare to the area’s residents regardless of insurance at our three locations in Lakewood, Toms River and Stafford.”
The standing-room-only board meeting began with the unexpected announcement and ended with four board members, Zecharia Greenspan, Jonathan Silver, Yizeriel Friedman and vice president Yechezkel Seitler, all trying to make a motion to remove Edelstein as the current board attorney, citing what they said were high legal fees. View the video above to see some of the proceedings from Monday night’s school board meeting.
The motion, however, failed, after Edelstein and Board President Carl Fink said it was out of order and inappropriate. Seitler, meanwhile