Donna Carey has made it clear that her priorities lie not in serving the students of Hardyston, but in protecting her own political interests-even if it means wasting taxpayer dollars in the process. In the midst of this past election, Carey attempted to use the district’s legal resources to investigate the sitting superintendent, Mike Ryder, because he dared to correct misinformation spread by her and her political allies.
Weaponizing Legal Counsel for Political Retaliation
On the heels of a letter published by Mayor Frank Cicerale endorsing Donna Carey and her running mate Robin Marotta, Superintendent Mike Ryder responded with a fact-based article setting the record straight about the district’s successes. His response highlighted objective district performance data, debunking the misleading claims made by Cicerale.
Rather than debating the merits of these facts, Carey did what she does best: misuse district resources to silence opposition. She formally requested that district legal counsel review Ryder’s conduct, questioning whether he had the right to respond to misinformation.
Carey’s request to investigate the superintendent during an election season is nothing short of a gross misuse of power. Instead of allowing Ryder to defend the district, she sought to use taxpayer-funded legal services to intimidate him. This is a clear example of political retaliation, not governance.
Hypocrisy Exposed: Blaming a System She Helped Lead
The irony is undeniable. Carey and Cicerale claim Hardyston schools are failing, citing test scores and staff turnover. Yet, Carey has been a sitting member of the Board of Education during the very period she criticizes.
If the schools were truly in decline, then she was part of that failure. This raises the question:
- Did she ignore these issues for years, making her complicit?
- Or is she fabricating a crisis to gain political support?
If Carey truly believed the district was in trouble, she had every opportunity to lead, propose solutions, and take action. Instead, she remained silent-until it became politically convenient to cry foul.
The Real Cost to Taxpayers
Carey has a documented history of wasting taxpayer money on unnecessary legal fees.
- She pushed for legal reviews on non-issues, including this politically motivated request about Ryder, which required district attorneys to spend time and resources.
- She has driven up the district’s legal costs with frivolous complaints, including an ethics complaint against another board member just one week after the election-a clear act of political revenge.
- She has taken no responsibility for her role in any of the so-called deficiencies that she now blames others for.
Hardyston taxpayers should ask themselves: How much more money will Donna Carey waste in the name of politics?
Hardyston Deserves Better
Donna Carey’s actions show that she is more concerned with silencing opposition than improving education. She has repeatedly used taxpayer dollars for her personal political agenda, showing a complete disregard for fiscal responsibility.
The Board of Education should focus on students, teachers, and improving our schools-not on funding personal vendettas and political games. Hardyston deserves leadership that prioritizes education, not election season antics.
We’ve kept the receipts, and the taxpayers deserve to know exactly how their money is being spent. Stay tuned for our upcoming articles, where we continue to expose the waste, hypocrisy, and mismanagement that Hardyston residents can no longer afford to ignore.