Manalapan rec. director faces 3-day suspension
Twp. administrator claims incident at summer camp was not reported properly
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

Manalapan Recreation Director Gerald Collincini has been notified by Township Administrator Alayne Shepler that he will be required to serve a three-day suspension without pay from his job. The suspension is to occur on three nonconsecutive days this month, with the first day of the suspension scheduled for today, Sept. 13.

According to Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth, Collincini's suspension was ordered by Shepler as a result of an incident that Roth said involved a camper who was enrolled in Manalapan's 2006 summer recreation program.

Roth said the incident is a personnel matter with potential for litigation. She said she could not comment on the matter beyond confirming that the suspension was issued due to the fact an incident had not been reported to municipal officials by Collincini as policy dictates.

When asked what policy, if any, may have been violated by Collincini, Mayor Drew Shapiro said that specific information would have to come from Shepler, who handles the day-to-day municipal operations.

A person who answered the phone in Shepler's office on Monday said the administrator would not be available for comment.

A police captain told the News Tran-script on Monday that an investigation of the reported incident at the 2006 summer recreation program concluded that it was unfounded.

The News Transcript obtained a letter from Shepler to Collincini, which indicates that the dates of his suspension will be Sept. 13, Sept. 21 and Sept. 26.

Collincini has worked for Manalapan for more than two decades.

In her Aug. 29 letter, Shepler chides Collincini for what she asserts is his "total disregard for any rules," his continued "lack of accountability" to her and the "disrespectful tone" contained in some of his correspondence to her.

In the letter, Shepler refers to a meeting she had with Collincini regarding "an alleged incident of sexual abuse at the summer recreation program. You stated you felt you had no need to notify me or the Town-ship Committee because a police report was filed."

The letter states that at that meeting, Collincini took the opportunity to inform Shepler that an "exposure incident" occurred during the 2005 summer recreation program, which also had not been reported to Shepler by Collincini.

Shepler wrote that as Collincini appears to "not have any respect for authority or a chain of command," and that "all prior attempts at discipline have failed to have you become a responsive and responsible department head," she was issuing the three-day suspension.

Manalapan police Capt. Chris Marsala said Monday that police received a report of inappropriate behavior among two juveniles at this year's summer recreation program. He said the report was investigated and determined to be unfounded.

In a Sept. 6 memorandum to the Township Committee, also obtained by the News Transcript, Collincini contested his pending suspension and requested an appeal be heard by the committee.

The committee has a meeting scheduled for tonight.

In the memo, Collincini contends that Shepler's actions were not based on "accurate facts." He disputed Shepler's account of the summer 2005 incident with a copy of an e-mail sent by him to Shepler.

In the e-mail dated July 19, 2005, Collincini informed Shepler, "I wanted to make you aware of an incident that occurred on today's trip to Hurricane Harbor (at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson). A man was arrested for some type of lewd behavior toward a fifth grade camper. The man has been taken to the Jackson Police Department. The camper, along with a friend (camper), are being taken to the Jackson police station. The parents are on their way to the Jackson Police Department. I have been in contact with our (Police) Chief (Stuart Brown) who has also contacted the Jackson Police Department on our behalf."

In his Sept. 6 memo to the members of the Township Committee, Collincini alleges that Shepler's action in suspending him had not been performed according to established procedures.

He asserts that Shepler is "executing this action in a continuing mode of retaliation toward me, and has established a pattern of behavior that includes ongoing harassment and defamation of my character. The administrator has taken this action (the suspension), which is a personal attack masked as procedural and, in essence, is continuing behavior and conduct focused on intimidation."

Collincini asked that the suspension be set aside until the matter could be heard by the members of the governing body.

Calls from the News Transcript to Collincini were not returned.