VINELAND – A mechanic for the city school system is on notice to concentrate on maintaining buses and to leave his sense of humor at home after being given back his job – but not his supervisor title – following nearly a year of civil litigation.
Clifford Hickman found himself out of a job in June 2019 for what he swore to district superiors, and eventually a New Jersey administrative law judge, was his attempt to play a harmless joke on a bus inspector for the state Department of Transportation.
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Court records state Hickman, at the time a supervisor, spread some silicon and black paint over a broken leaf spring on a bus awaiting inspection in May 2019. A broken leaf spring can lead to a loss of control on the road. The idea was to see if the inspector, whom he knew, would catch the problem.
The inspector saw it.
The same bus also had a brake warning light failure. That problem alone was sufficient cause for the bus to fail an inspection, according to testimony.
In effect, as Hickman pleaded and as his legal defense stressed, there should be no way the bus could pass inspection and return to duty even if the broken leaf spring got by the DOT inspector.
However, the DOT notified Damary Ferreri, acting transportation assistant coordinator for Vineland.
Ferreri, not amused, reported the incident to Business Administrator Gene Mercoli and Human Resources Director Joseph Rossi. She also shared with them that the state could have fined Vineland $20,000.
“Mercoli considered a report from a state inspector to be a serious concern,” the court decision states. “He had never experienced it in his 21 years as a school business administrator.”
The school district in June 2019 fired Hickman, who had worked there since 1992 while still a high school student. This April, however, an administrative law judge reduced the punishment to a 90-day suspension.
Hickman’s appeal wasn’t quite done, though. The Civil Service Commission is charged with reviewing administrative law decisions, and its members concluded Hickman’s punishment was a little light.
In May, the commission upheld the suspension while ordering Hickman demoted. The commission also told him he would not be getting reimbursed for his legal fees.
In the court decision, Hickman’s pleading received an understanding analysis from Judge Kathleen M. Calemmo.
“Because of Hickman’s years of service and his 13 years as a supervisor, it was entirely plausible that Hickman and the DOT inspectors would have a rapport,” Calemmo stated. “His statement that he was trying to lighten the atmosphere in the garage because inspection time was stressful was not offered as an excuse of wrongdoing. Hickman admitted he was wrong. He did not shift the blame or avoid responsibility.
“At the crux of this matter is the safety of the students who ride the bus,” she added. “Hickman’s assertion that he picked Bus 48 because he knew it would fail inspection could be viewed as self-serving and an attempt to diminish the severity of his actions. In this instance, I am satisfied that is not the case.”
The final order allows back pay and benefits for Hickman, adjusted for the suspension upheld by the commission.
Hickman was represented by attorney Arthur Murray.
The school district was represented by attorney Frank DiDomenico.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer at The Daily Journal in Vineland. Have a news tip? Reach out at (856) 563-5252 or jsmith@thedailyjournal.com or follow me on Twitter, @jpsmith-dj. Help support local journalism with a subscription to The Daily Journal.
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Civil service gives job back to school bus mechanic, with suspension, demotion for 'joke' - The Daily Journal
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