The long and bitter conflict between the Mount Olive Board of Education and former superintendent Robert Zywicki who filed a whistleblower lawsuit after his 2023 resignation has come to an expensive conclusion for taxpayers.
A joint press release issued by the parties on Tuesday announced a "mutually acceptable resolution of their differences," which date back to conflicts that resulted in Zywicki's suspension from the Morris County district more than two years ago.
The announcement stated terms of the settlement "will remain confidential in accordance with the parties' agreement." But on Monday night, the board voted 5-4 to authorize the deal in a resolution that said Zywicki and his wife and co-plaintiff, Melanie, would be paid $645,000.
Of that amount, $152,000 will be paid by the district, with the balance to be covered by insurance, according to the resolution.
The settlement capped a controversy that drew hundreds of residents to school board meetings. The dispute grew, depending on varying accounts, either from Zywicki's alleged side jobs while leading the district, or from some board members' objections to his disciplining of a school employee.
Zywicki's lawsuit initially sought "multimillion-dollar damages" from the K-12 district, which serves almost 5,000 students in six schools. He alleged school board members and a board counsel conspired in "an orchestrated scheme by the defendants to punish him and destroy his reputation."
The former superintendent...
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