Ms. Helen Tobia, the Director of Pupil Personnel Services in the Lakewood School District was escorted out of the BOE and suspended, multiple sources tell TLS.
Tobia, also the unofficial director of Special Education services in the district, was escorted out of the building during a meeting last night on tenure charge‎s and suspended for 120 days, the sources said.
The charges were not immediately available, and emails to State Monitor Michael Azzarra were not returned.
Tobia, with the district for about 10 years, has 120 days to decide if she plans on fighting the charges or to resign, the sources said.
UPDATE: An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ms. Tobia “wasn’t actually removed from a meeting” but was served papers, and told to leave when she returned to school.
The state department of education would be notified of the charges once they’re approved locally, a spokesman for the state tells TLS. The incident is expected to remain under wraps until they are brought forward to local officials.
[TLS]
About time
Please elaborate on what “tenure charges” mean.
I have personally worked with Helen and have seen her duplicity and lies. She will say whatever she wants even if completely false and hurt innocent people. Lakewood Scoop you made my night! There IS justice in this world!
It’s about time!!!
Helen was escorted by LP. She was told not to come into work and she did. Next one will be here BFF MRS. Winters.
how much are they offering her to leave
Did they make sure she didn’t “organize” her files prior to being escorted out? This reminds me of Hillary Clinton having enough time to “clean” her private email server before the FBI got their hands on it..
Mrs. Winters is lovely and cares. Please dont include her in this forum.
Big mike- great point. Knowing her she absolutely did! She needs to resign for the good of the district! Enough! Our community- which is ALL the dynamic and eclectic tapestry known as Lakewood – will not tolerate her coming back! Resign! We are done with you Mrs Tobia!!
I’m not part of the orthodox community and work in the lakewood public schools and can personally attest to the horrible, illegal things Helen has done! She lies, manipulates and has hurt so many innocent people! She better resign or all the truth will come out! Whoever is behind this bless you!!!
About time! If she came back after being told not to, she got rid of paper evidence.
The fact Helen has only been escorted out now shows how people can be so blinded by one’s position. But this moment is one hundreds have been waiting for, in my opinion lakewood should create another Purim for the downfall of this generations haman!!! We are all so thankful this woman who has done terrible things to our community has no more power to destroy us. Hodu Lahashem Kitov!
Cassandra Higgins- (love the name!) I agree. She must resign! We have had enough and will take her obscenities no longer!
Thank you scoop for finally getting this news out!!!!!
It amazes me that the district empowered this fiend with its most vulnerable and fragile population of special needs children for so many years. Administrators with years of experience and high morals and ethics have come and gone during her reign of terror but she has survived. This is because of her guardian angel…Laura Winters. Will Ms. Winters align herself with her buddy Helen or will she save herself and the district by distancing herself away from this cruel and evil woman? Time will tell. Thank you state monitor and board menbers for standing up for what is honest and just in your quest to help this failing district. Mission accomplished!!!!!!
I worked in Lakewood schools years ago and just smiled to see that Karma finally came around…
Please find out what was the straw this time! That woman has more than 9 lives!! Professionals and parents have been ignored and humilated over the years to protect Helen and to cover up her lies. She must have really broken the law this time with such incriminating evidence that she could not possibly have blamed on someone else this time..her usual MO!
Please correct her title. She is the Supervisor of PPS and Fine Arts.
Do they have a replacement for her position? Not that one is needed. Her only job was to be mean nasty and lie. And support Me. Winters. What will happen with fine arts now? As usual the arts are the first to go…
KARMA – when you do evil to others, evil will catch up with you . . . .
Thank g-d it’s about time , she is pure evil
Sweet. I hope she’s gone for good. She’s cost my family thousands of dollars that The BOE had pledged to pay & she just said NO. Really a rashantah. Maybe even borderline Machshaifah.
I never thought this day would come. Maybe there is hope for all the other dysfunctional/ corrupt/ illegal policies of the district to be rectified as well!
This made my morning! She was partly the reason why I left that district. She made my last moments in that district a complete nightmare. I will be smiling all day now.
To all who see this please understand that Laura Winters is a complicit participant in all the events that have occurred in Lakewood Schools. She worked under Shelly Boxer who lied. She worked under Lydia Silva who lied. She has allowed Helen Tobia to run roughshod over the most innocent of G-d’s children and those teachers and staff who work with them. She herself may not be evil, however her inaction in all these injustices have cost the district millions and caused irreparable damage to children and their families. THAT is evil. Helen Tobia has finally received her wake up call. Hopefully the district will get one too. Remember, the LBOE allowed her to have the power she did. Then Winters created a position for her. The LBOE can solve many financial and ethical issues by reducing the number of needless administrative positions totaling more than 2 million dollars in salaries. This is the root of corruption in the district. The LBOE needs to know those they trust are lying to them. WAKE UP and do us all a mitzvah – look at Winters and her administration in every school. Then clean house.
she set herself up as protector of winters, would do anything necessary!
Thanks to all involved in this great historic move!
She should have been gone years ago. She holds no real position, all she did was run around with her nose in the air and make trouble for everyone around, or even not around. She also had no problem humiliating anyone who’d get in her way. what goes around comes around.
I hope she resigns in disgrace!
lets get rid of her
Isn’t it amazing that regardless of the issue, TLS commenters are almost never unanimous, and after 27 comments every single one is in emphatic agreement!!
This is great news for the Lakewood BOE!
I with Noway! I want to meet this woman who is able to unite TLS commentators across such a broad swath of ethnic groups!!
I was thinking the exact same thing as Noway, but it is so sad that isomeone was that bad remained in power for so long!
All I can say is thank you Mr. Azaara! A man of truth and fortitude! Until you came Helen spun her tales and manipulated all! She was empowered by her friend Laura Winters, Superintendent and had gotten away with so much! Since Mr. Azzara came the truth is coming out and finally action has been taken!!!
A grateful citizen
if Helen resigns- the evidence is sealed. If she DOESNT resign- then we will really get “the scoop” and find out why tenure charges were filed! Tenure charges are not filed without a very strong case.
As a senior living in Lakewood I must say I am appalled that my tax dollars were supporting this obvious incompetent and evil administrator making over $120,000 a year!!!! What a waste. Is she in leave with pay?? This is something taxpayers should vote on!!! I say No More!!!!!!
One down, many more to go! The administration of this district has created such a hostile work environment that no good teacher wants to work there anymore. They’re hurting the students to satisfy their own power trips. The time has come to clean house and fill the positions with people who have ethics and morals! The students of Lakewood deserve better!!!
Somebody out there must know what the charges were based on. This is a serious charge and happens only a couple of times a year in the entire state! It had to have been criminal charges. Why is this not public knowledge? We pay her salary and she is a criminal???? We the voters and taxpayers demand answers and accountability! The BOE/State monitor must release a statement for the public. As I read here, it doesn’t seem that the superintendent will be making a statement anytime soon as she appears to be in cahoots with this gal Helen.
I want the money back – let it go back to the community and rebate our wasted tax $$$$$$ -Is everybody laughing? Here we have an uncovered fraud that everybody knows cost the community major $ and we poor taxpayers have to keep on shelling out money !!!!
Look many teachers in Lakewood work under stressful conditions. many teachers reach into their pockets to purchase supplies for the classroom and students. These kids deserve to earn an education. People in power have lost sight of what counts. We need our teachers to remain in place. The kids need them. Those people would not appreciate neglect for themselves or their children. Remember these kids are the future leaders of America. Ensure their success!
It’s about time! Tobia has made many wonderful teachers miserable and let her personal agenda overpower what was best for special education students. I can’t wait to see what the charges are and for her to finally experience some of what she has dealt out to others.
I was under the impression that you cannot be suspended without pay, until they find you guilty. So now Helen gets to sit home and still collect her salary? Something is wrong here!!!
Karma… great comment but there is a HUGE difference between what tobia does 92nd what is being done to her now. She has harassed, victimized, and fired employees who have defended and stood firm against her in protecting and putting students needs above hers! Tobia is finally getting what she deserves. The common denominator between all those against her were they were moral and ethical educators. She in the other hand is finally being exposed as the criminal she is! For shame on the administration and board members who have given her power for so long!!!!
Thank you Mr. Azzara!!!!!A man of morals and ethics. A man Lakewood needs. Now into tobia’s protector and BFF…winters!