In the Matter of Anjana Patel, Edison Township Board of Education, Middlesex County, 12/12/25 (#557-25SEC)

557-25SEC
SEC Dkt. No. D02-25
Agency Dkt. No. 370-10/25
New Jersey Commissioner of Education
Final Decision
In the Matter of Anjana Patel, Edison Township Board
of Education, Middlesex County
The Commissioner has reviewed the record of this matter and the decision of the School Ethics
Commission (SEC) finding that respondent violated the School Ethics Act for failure to timely file
Personal/Relative and Financial Disclosure Statements (“Disclosure Statements”) in accordance with
N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1. The SEC’s decision was forwarded to the
Commissioner for final determination on the recommended penalty pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-29(c). The
SEC recommended a sanction of removal effective upon the adoption of the decision by the Commissioner.
Alternatively, if the respondent filed the Disclosure Statements before the issuance of the Commissioner’s
final decision and notified the SEC accordingly, the SEC recommended a sanction of a thirty-day suspension.
On November 3, 2025, the SEC advised the Commissioner that respondent had completed the Disclosure
Statements. Respondent has neither filed exceptions to the recommended penalty, nor instituted an appeal
of the SEC’s underlying finding of violation pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:4-1 et seq.
Upon review, the Commissioner concurs with the penalty recommended by the SEC for respondent’s
failure to timely honor an obligation placed upon school officials by law. 	Accordingly, respondent is
suspended from the Board for thirty days for violating the School Ethics Act.
IT IS SO ORDERED.1
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Date of Decision: 	December 12, 2025
Date of Mailing: 	December 15, 2025
1 This decision may be appealed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-
9.1. Under N.J.Ct.R. 2:4-1(b), a notice of appeal must be filed with the Appellate Division within 45 days from the
date of mailing of this decision.

Before the School Ethics Commission
Docket No.: D02-25
Decision for Failure to File Complete Personal/Relative and
Financial Disclosure Statements
I/M/O Anjana Patel,
Edison Township Board of Education, Middlesex County
I. 	Procedural History
This matter arises from an Order to Show Cause (OTSC) that was issued by the School Ethics
Commission (Commission) at its meeting on September 23, 2025, directing Respondent, a “school
official” as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:12-23 of the School Ethics Act (Act), N.J.S.A. 18A:12-21 et seq., to
show cause as to why the Commission should not find her in violation of the Act for failing to file
complete Personal/Relative and Financial Disclosure Statements (Disclosure Statements) as required by
N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1.
In the OTSC that was served on September 23, 2025, the Commission notified Respondent that
she had twenty (20) days to respond to the OTSC. Respondent was further advised that failure to respond
would be deemed an admission of the facts set forth in the OTSC, and the Commission may take action
on a summary basis, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:28-1.6(c).
II. 	Analysis
The Act was enacted by the New Jersey State Legislature to ensure and preserve public confidence
in members of local boards of education and local school administrators. By virtue of N.J.S.A. 18A:12-
23.1, the breadth of the Act was expanded to include charter school trustees and administrators.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1(a), all school
officials must file, on forms prescribed by the Commission, Disclosure Statements with their local board
secretaries or charter school designees, and must do so on or before April 30th of each year. In addition,
all newly elected board members or board members appointed to fill vacancies, newly appointed members
of a board of trustees of a charter school, and administrators appointed to fill a vacancy must file their
Disclosure Statements within thirty (30) days of appointment or taking office. N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1(c),
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1(d), N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1(e), and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1(f).
When it is determined that a school official’s otherwise timely filed Disclosure Statements are
incorrect or incomplete, the filing shall be returned to the school official, and she shall have twenty (20)
days from receipt of the returned filing to correct and/or complete the Disclosure Statements, and to
resubmit them to the local board secretary or charter school designee. N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.4(a), N.J.A.C.
6A:28-3.4(b). At the expiration of twenty (20) days, or upon receipt of a filing which continues to fail to
provide the information required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25 and/or N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, the Commission shall
issue an Order to Show Cause, directing the school official to show cause as to why the Commission
should not impose a sanction. N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.4(c). If the school official fails to submit a response
within twenty (20) days, or if school official fails to properly file, “the Commission may regard the school
official’s incomplete filing as a failure to file, and the Commission shall proceed in accordance with
N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3.” N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.4(d). As set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3(a), failure to timely file

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the required Disclosure Statements “shall constitute a violation of the Act, and may result in the
reprimand, censure, suspension, or removal of a school official.”
With the above in mind, Respondent is a returning school official and, therefore, was required to
file complete Disclosure Statements by April 30, 2025. Although Respondent filed Disclosure Statements
on August 21, 2025, after the required deadline, her filing was rejected. Even though Respondent received
reminders as further detailed below, Respondent failed to file complete Disclosure Statements.
More specifically, throughout the months of July through September, the Commission’s staff sent
repeated messages to the Board Secretary advising that Respondent had not yet filed Disclosure
Statements. The electronic correspondence to the Board Secretary further advised that if Respondent
failed to file Disclosure Statements, the Commission had the authority to issue an OTSC, find Respondent
in violation of the Act, and recommend a penalty up to and including removal for non-compliance.
In addition, by electronic correspondence dated July 9, 2025, August 13, 2025, August 19, 2025,
September 9, 2025, and September 10, 2025, Respondent was reminded that she did not file complete
Disclosure Statements. Respondent was further advised that continued failure to file complete Disclosure
Statements would result in the Commission issuing an OTSC, and recommending a penalty, up to and
including removal.
When Respondent failed to file complete Disclosure Statements as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-
25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1, an OTSC was issued by the Commission at its meeting
on September 23, 2025. After having been served with the OTSC, Respondent still failed to file complete
Disclosure Statements, or to otherwise respond to the OTSC.
III. 	Decision/Penalty Recommendation
Based on the record as set forth above, and at its meeting on October 28, 2025, the Commission
found that Respondent violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1 because
she did not file complete Disclosure Statements.
Where a violation of the Act is found by the Commission, it may recommend to the Commissioner
of Education that a penalty be imposed on the school official. The recommended penalty can include a
reprimand, censure, suspension or removal of the school official. N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3(a); N.J.A.C. 6A:28-
9.11. Specifically, unless good cause is shown or the school official previously has been the subject of an
OTSC, “the Commission shall recommend that a school official who completes and files the disclosure
statements after the Commission issues a decision, but before the Commissioner issues a final decision,
receives a suspension for 30 days.” N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3(d). However, “the Commission will only
recommend this penalty if the school official notifies the Commission, in writing, that the school official
successfully completed and filed the disclosure statements before the Commissioner issues a final
decision.” N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3(d). 	If the school official has not filed the disclosure statements as of the
date the Commissioner issues its final decision, the Commission will recommend removal of the school
official from his or her position. N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.3(e).
For the reasons set forth above, the Commission recommends that the Commissioner of Education
impose a penalty of removal, with such removal to become effective immediately upon adoption by the
Commissioner 	of 	Education. 	However, 	if 	Respondent 	files 	Disclosure 	Statements 	before 	the
Commissioner of Education adopts a final decision, then the Commission recommends that the
Commissioner of Education, in lieu of removal, impose a thirty (30) day suspension, with such

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suspension to become effective immediately upon adoption by the Commissioner of Education, provided
the school official provides written notice that the disclosure statement has been completed and filed.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:12-29(c), this decision shall be forwarded to the Commissioner of
Education for review of the Commission’s recommended penalty. Respondent may either: 1) file
exceptions to the recommended sanction; 2) file an appeal of the Commission’s finding of a violation; or
3) file both exceptions to the recommended sanction together with an appeal of the finding of a violation.
Parties taking exception to the recommended penalty of the Commission but not disputing the
Commission’s finding of a violation may file, within thirteen (13) days from the date the Commission’s
decision is forwarded to the Commissioner, written exceptions regarding the recommended penalty to the
Commissioner. The forwarding date shall be the mailing date to the parties, as indicated below. Such
exceptions must be forwarded to: Commissioner of Education, c/o Bureau of Controversies and Disputes,
P.O. Box 500, Trenton, New Jersey 08625, marked “Attention: Comments on Ethics Commission
Sanction.” as well as to (ControversiesDisputesFilings@doe.nj.gov). A copy must also be sent to the
Commission (school.ethics@doe.nj.gov) and all other parties.
Parties seeking to appeal the Commission’s finding of violation must file an appeal pursuant to the
standards set forth at N.J.A.C. 6A:4-1 et seq. within thirty (30) days of the filing date of the decision
from which the appeal is taken. The filing date shall be three (3) days after the date of mailing to the
parties, as shown below. In such cases, the Commissioner’s review of the Commission’s recommended
sanction will be deferred and incorporated into the Commissioner’s review of the finding of violation on
appeal. Where a notice of appeal has been filed on or before the due date for exceptions to the
Commission’s recommended sanction (thirteen (13) days from the date the decision is mailed by the
Commission), exceptions need not be filed by that date, but may be incorporated into the appellant’s brief
on appeal.
____________________________
Robert W. Bender, Chairperson
Mailing Date: October 28, 2025

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Resolution Adopting Decision for Failure to File Complete Personal/Relative and
Financial Disclosure Statements
Docket No.: D02-25
Whereas, Respondent is a “school official,” as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:12-23 of the School Ethics Act
(Act); and
Whereas, as a school official, Respondent was required to file Personal/Relative and Financial
Disclosure Statements (Disclosure Statements) by April 30, 2025; and
Whereas, Respondent failed to file complete Disclosure Statements within the statutorily required
timeframe; and
Whereas, at its meeting on September 23, 2025, the School Ethics Commission (Commission) issued
an Order to Show Cause (OTSC) directing Respondent to show cause why she failed to file complete
Disclosure Statements as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1; and
Whereas, Respondent failed to file complete Disclosure Statements following issuance of the OTSC;
and
Whereas, Respondent failed to file a response to the OTSC; and
Whereas, at its meeting on October 28, 2025, the Commission found that Respondent violated N.J.S.A.
18A:12-25, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-26, and N.J.A.C. 6A:28-3.1 by failing to file complete Disclosure Statements; and
Whereas, at its meeting on October 28, 2025, the Commission recommended that the Commissioner of
Education impose a penalty of removal, with such removal to become effective immediately upon adoption by
the Commissioner of Education. However, if Respondent files complete Disclosure Statements before the
Commissioner of Education adopts a final decision, then the Commission recommends that the Commissioner
of Education, in lieu of removal, impose a thirty (30) day suspension, with such suspension to become
effective immediately upon adoption by the Commissioner of Education, provided the school official provides
written notice that the disclosure statement has been completed and filed; and
Whereas, at its meeting on October 28, 2025, the Commission agreed that the within decision
accurately memorializes its findings and recommendations; and
Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that the Commission hereby adopts the within decision and directs its
staff to notify all parties to this action of the decision.
_____________________________
Robert W. Bender, Chairperson
I hereby certify that the within Resolution
was duly adopted by the School Ethics Commission
at its meeting on October 28, 2025.
_____________________________
Brigid C. Martens, Director
School Ethics Commission