Another embarrassing hire for the Murphy administration

Another employee has been let go by the state after past transgressions were brought to light. According to Politico, Maryellen Cervenak, who was hired by the State Department of Education as the acting department director of the Professional Learning Network was fired after it was brought to their attention that she had been suspended when she was a teacher for, among other things, making fun of special education students.

Cervenak, who went by the last name of Lechelt, was suspended by the Edison school district for comments made in a group chat in 2015. According to NJ Advanced Media, the comments were made in a group chat and included to special needs students as “morons” and that they took the “tart cart” home. She was suspended for 120 days.

After reporters started making inquires about her hiring, the Department of Education fired her from the $70,000 a year position but refused further comment on the matter, citing personnel concerns. Her firing comes on the heels of the resignation of Marcellus Jackson from his position with the DOE after it came to light he had served jail time for bribery, and the resignation of Albert Alvarez from his post as the Schools Development Authority when accusations of sexual assault surfaced.

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