A Monmouth County Superior Court judge has denied a request from the Middletown school district to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the district and the Middletown school board by Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick. A former science teacher at a Middletown middle school, Rodrick says the school board engaged in a political attack against him because he eliminated patronage jobs and waste after taking office as mayor in Toms River in January 2024.
In December 2024, the Middletown school board voted to bring tenure charges against Rodrick, on the recommendation of superintendent Jessica Alfone. The Middletown school district put him on an indefinite paid leave that same month.
Rodrick says the tenure charges were payback because after becoming mayor he immediately fired Art Gallagher, a confidential aide to the former mayor of Toms River. Gallagher was also a paid campaign consultant who worked on the campaigns of Middletown School Board members Frank Capone and Jacqueline Tobacco.
Gallagher was also named in the lawsuit in addition to Capone, Tobacco, and the other board members. The next court date for the suit is March 10.
Judge Allows Rodrick Lawsuit Against Middletown School Board to Proceed
