Toms River, NJ mayor suspended from job as teacher, denies allegations

✅ Dan Rodrick is the mayor of Toms River

✅ The Middletown BOE says Dan Rodrick conducted Toms River business in school

✅ Rodrick is threatening a lawsuit

Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick is pushing back at the Middletown Board of Education after being suspended from the teaching position he has held since 2002.

According to a document titled "Tenure charges and a sworn statement of evidence" obtained by the Asbury Park Press, Rodrick was placed on paid administrative leave from his position at the Thorne Middle effective Dec. 20 following  "numerous complaints" from students who told their guidance counselor they wanted to be removed from his class.

"Such complaints are out of the ordinary, prompting Thorne administration to investigate the matter further," the document says.

Among the problems that district officials had with Rodrick:

• Personal telephone calls during scheduled instructional time:  Students complained that Rodrick made calls using both his personal cell phone and the hardwired school phone on his desk. Call logs from the school phone showed none of the calls were school-related.

• Outside email and phone activity during scheduled instructional time: The BOE says Roderick sent 11 emails using his Middletown email address during his teaching time in January and February 2024 and seven calls on the school phone between January and April 2024.

• Misrepresentation during the investigation into untimely grading: Parents complained about Rodrick entering grades late, an allegation he denied to the BOE. Computer records contradicted Rodrick. The BOE also said Rodrick did not prepare his lesson plans in a timely fashion, did not attend faculty meetings and did not respond to parent questions about grades.

Both the Ocean County mayor and the Monmouth County school board's leadership are Republican.

Rodrick denied the allegations to New Jersey 101.5 but would not discuss the reasons on the record. The mayor said his attorney was preparing a lawsuit in response.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom