April 22, 2024
Edison, NJ – In a victory for due process, former Board of Education President Jerry Shi has been completely vindicated of an ethics complaint filed against him in June 2021. The complaint, which many believe stemmed from a political grudge, alleged that Mr. Shi had violated ethics codes by simply appearing in a social media post in support of a candidate running for office.
The complaint originated with Library Board member Tony Depasquale, who seemingly took issue with Mr. Shi’s online activity. Depasquale then took the unusual step of filing a formal ethics complaint against Mr. Shi with the School Ethics Commission, further escalating the situation.
An administrative law judge ultimately saw through the baseless nature of the complaint and dismissed it on January 29th. This decision was then forwarded to the Ethics Commission, which officially adopted the dismissal on March 26th, marking a complete exoneration for Mr. Shi.
“Every elcetion cycle they fabricate the facts and make up stories for their own political benefit and it has to stop. If Mr. Depasquale is personally held financially responsible for libel and slander maybe this type of behavior will stop” said former Board President Jerry Shi who narrowly lost last years Board of Education election by just 214 votes after the bogus ethics complaint was used against him.
This case highlights the potential for abuse within ethics complaint procedures. While such procedures are essential for maintaining ethical conduct in public service, they should not be weaponized for personal or political reasons. Mr. Shi’s ordeal serves as a reminder of the importance of due process and the need to ensure that ethics complaints are levied fairly and in good faith.
