A separation agreement between Kenilworth Public Schools and a former superintendent charged with pooping on a Holmdel athletic field pays his full salary through the end of September plus two months severance pay and $23,827 in unused vacation days.
Under the terms of the agreement, a copy of which was obtained by NJ Advance Media, the district will end up having paid its former superintendent, Thomas Tramaglini, well over $100,000 some five months after his arrest and suspension in May.
And, the agreement stipulates, the district will not contest Tramaglini's application for unemployment.
"From the date of execution of this Separation Agreement by Tramaglini and the Board President, Tramaglini will remain on a paid leave of absence for personal reasons through Sept. 30, 2018," unless he lands a comparable job before then, according to the agreement. "During such time, he shall not report to work, perform any of the duties of, nor have any of the responsibilities of the position of Superintendent of Schools of the Kenilworth School District."
The agreement also called for the district and Tramaglini not to disclose the terms of their separation. However, a copy of the agreement was obtained by NJ Advance Media and other news organizations under the state Open Public Records Act.
The agreement was signed by Tramaglini on July 24 and by Kenilworth Board of Education President Nancy Zimmerman and Board Secretary/Business Administrator Vincent Gonnella on July 26, the day Tramaglini submitted his letter of resignation, effective Sept. 30.
Tramaglini, 42, was suspended with pay by Kenilworth after he was charged on May 1 by Holmdel Police with defecating in public at the Holmdel High School football field and track. The high school is about 3 miles from Tramaglini's condominium in Aberdeen.
With a salary of $147,500 under a contract that originally ran from Jan. 11, 2016, to July 1, 2020, keeping Tramaglini on full pay for the five months following his suspension up through his September resignation date will cost the district $61,458. Including his vacation and severance pay puts the total at $109,868.
And while the agreement does not specify how much Tramaglini will receive for unused sick days, or the number of days he accrued, it does state that the district will honor the terms of Tramaglni's original contract, which calls for reimbursement of $682 per unused sick day.
No motive has ever been ascribed to Tramaglini's alleged serial defecation, and a Holmdel Municipal Court hearing on Monday offered few clues.
A civil case is also in the works, after Tramaglini notified the Holmdel police of his intention to sue the department for photographing him and "maliciously" circulating his mug shot for what his lawyer characterized as a minor offense.
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.