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MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF

THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

 

JULY 23, 2025

  

Allison Chris Myers, Chairperson

Dolores Gorczyca

Daniel W. O’Mullan

Diomedes Tsitouras

Christina Mongon

 

 JULY 23, 2025

 

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    A regular meeting of the Civil Service Commission was held on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in Trenton, New Jersey.

 

    PRESENT: Allison Chris Myers, Chairperson; Members Dolores Gorczyca; Daniel O’Mullan, Diomedes Tsitouras, and Christina Mongon; Levi Klinger-Christiansen, Deputy Attorney General; Nicholas F. Angiulo, Director, Division of Appeals and Regulatory Affairs; Annemarie Ragos-Goff, Commission Secretary.  All individuals listed participated via teleconference.

 

     In accordance with L.1975, c.231, the Secretary to the Civil Service Commission opened the meeting with the following statement:

 

    Notice of this meeting was filed with the Secretary of State and sent to the Trentonian, Trenton Times, Courier-Post and Star Ledger on November 27, 2024, and posted at the Civil Service Commission, 3 Station Plaza, Trenton, New Jersey.

 

    All actions were by unanimous vote unless otherwise specified.

 

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MINUTES

 

Submitted for adoption are the Civil Service Commission minutes of its meeting of July 2, 2025.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission adopted the minutes of its meeting of July 2, 2025.

 

WITHDRAWAL OF APPEALS

 

The following appeals were withdrawn and removed from the hearing calendar:

 

John Bell, Mercer County, Department of Corrections, removal.

 

Antonio Caprara, South Toms River, Police Department, removal.

 

Christopher Ebanks, Essex County, Department of Corrections, removal.

 

Jannette Garcia, Winslow, Department of Administrative and Executive, removal.

 

Jarrod Shuford, Newark School District, removal.

 

Stacy Speidel, Brick, Department of Administration and Finance, removal.

 

Tanazha Williams, East Orange, Department of Public Safety, suspension.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission noted the withdrawal of appeals without prejudice.

 

DISMISSAL FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR

 

The Civil Service Commission dismissed the following cases without prejudice for failure to appear at the scheduled hearing before the Office of Administrative Law:

 

Eric Brown, Paterson, Department of Economic Development, release at the  end of the working test period.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission noted the dismissal of appeals without prejudice.    

 

SECTION A – HEARING MATTERS

 

A-1    SETTLEMENTS

 

Gerardo Colon

Union City

Department of Public Safety

 

Rueben Greaves

Trenton Psychiatric Hospital

Department of Health

 

Avicious Kennedy

Trenton Psychiatric Hospital

Department of Health

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission acknowledged the settlements.

 

A-2    DENISE DELEON – CSC DOCKET NO. 2021-1509

 

Denise DeLeon, Human Services Specialist 2, Bilingual in Spanish/English, Middlesex County, Board of Social Services, demotion to Human Services Aide, Bilingual in Spanish/English, effective April 12, 2021, on charges or incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties and inability to perform duties.

 

Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the demotion.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

 

A-3    STEPHEN HEDBERG – CSC DOCKET NO. 2020-2082

 

Stephen Hedberg, Police Officer, Perth Amboy, Police Department, 20 working day suspension, on charges of conduct unbecoming a public employee. 

 

Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Modify the 20 working day suspension to a 10 working day suspension.    

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission upheld the 20 working day suspension.

 

A-4    MICHAEL KOPIE – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-2529

         

Michael Kopie, Electrical Mechanic, Department of Transportation, 35 working day suspension, on charges of other sufficient cause, by violating departmental policies regarding overtime.

 

Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Reverse the 35 working day suspension.    

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

VOTE:         Allison Chris Myers                (Yes)

                   Dolores Gorczyca                   (Recuse)

                   Daniel O’Mullan                      (Yes)

                   Diomedes Tsitouras               (Yes)

                   Christina Mongon                  (Yes)

 

A-5    PRIYANKA MATHUR – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-2292

 

Priyanka Mathur, Manager 1, Human Resources, Department of Children and Families, return to previously held permanent title at the end of the working test period, effective April 15, 2024. 

 

Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the return to previously held permanent title at the end of the working test period.   

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

VOTE:         Allison Chris Myers                (Recuse)

                   Dolores Gorczyca                   (Yes)

                   Daniel O’Mullan                      (Yes)

                   Diomedes Tsitouras               (Yes)

                   Christina Mongon                  (Yes)

 

A-6    ANGELINA SALDANA – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-622

 

Angelina Saldana, Clerk 1, Burlington County, Board of Social Services, release at the end of the working test period, effective August 20, 2024.

 

            Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the release at the end of the working test period.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

 

A-7    CHINWE UGORJI – CSC DOCKET NO. 2023-1653

 

Chinwe Ugorji, Security Guard, Newark School District, removal, effective January 17, 2023, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties, conduct unbecoming a public employee, neglect of duty and other sufficient cause.

 

            Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Modify the removal to a six-month suspension. 

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

VOTE:         Allison Chris Myers                (No)

                   Dolores Gorczyca                   (Yes)

                   Daniel O’Mullan                      (Yes)

                   Diomedes Tsitouras               (Yes)

                   Christina Mongon                  (Yes)

 

A-8    ROBERT WARGOCKI – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-390

 

Robert Wargocki, Police Captain, Carteret, Police Department, 60 working day suspension and demotion, effective August 7, 2023, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties, conduct unbecoming a public employee, neglect of duty and violating departmental policies.

 

            Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Reverse the 60 working day suspension and demotion.

 

ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.

  

SECTION B – MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

 

B-1    A.D. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-1374

 

          A.D., represented by Stephen B. Hunter, Esq., appeals his rejection as a Fire Fighter candidate by Hackensack and its request to remove his name from the eligible list for Fire Fighter (M2229D).

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.

 

 B-2    A.L. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-1868

 

          A.L., represented by Kenneth Ralph, Esq., appeals his rejection as a Fire Fighter candidate by North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue and its request to remove his name from the eligible list for Fire Fighter (M2251D).

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.

         

B-3    ALFREDO VALENTIN – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-1023

 

          Alfredo Valentin appeals the removal of his name from the eligible list for Fire Fighter (M2250D), Newark.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.

 

B-4    DIANA SANCHEZ-ROMERO – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-2613

 

          Diana Sanchez-Romero requests to take a make-up examination for the Claims Reviewer (S1265E), Statewide open competitive examination.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this request be denied.

 

B-5    RICHARD HERNANDEZ – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-221

 

          Richard Hernandez appeals his oral score on the promotional examination for  Police Captain (PM4699D) Fort Lee.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.

 

B-6    Z.C. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-2510

 

          Z.C. appeals the test administration of the Assistant Training Supervisor County Welfare Agency (PC4277F), Essex County promotional examination.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.

 

B-7    LYDIA ROSARIO AND JENNIFER HIRSCHMANNER – CSC DOCKET NOS. 2025-1640 AND 2025-1641

 

          Lydia Rosario and Jennifer Hirschmanner appeal their reassignments.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that these appeals be referred to the Office of Administrative Law for a hearing.

 

B-8    D.H. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-1804

 

          D.H., a Supervising Family Service Specialist 2 with the Department of Children and Families, appeals the determination of a Deputy Commissioner, which substantiated that she violated the New Jersey State Policy Prohibiting Discrimination in the Workplace.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be granted.

 

B-9    MATTHEW RADECKY – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-1903

 

            Pohatcong, represented by Robert J. Merryman, Esq., requests  reconsideration of In the Matter of Matthew Radecky (CSC, decided February 5, 2025).  In the alternative, Pohatcong requests a stay of that decision.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that these requests be denied.

 

B-10   FORENSIC SCIENTIST 1, LOCAL GOVERNMENT TITLE – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-2719

 

          The Division of Agency Services requests the reallocation of the Forensic Scientist 1 local government title to the noncompetitive division of the career service.

 

          ACTION:     The Civil Service Commission directed that this request be granted.

  

PUBLIC PORTION

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