BHPRSD Board Approves Mackie as Interim Triton Principal

The Black Horse Pike Regional School District (BHPRSD) Board of Education voted Monday afternoon to approve Daniel Mackie as Triton Regional High School's interim principal.

Mackie is a 1966 Triton graduate.

The veteran educator is expected to report to the Runnemede school Wednesday afternoon for a teachers' in-service day, when he will meet with administrative staff and supervisors, BHPRSD Superintendent John Golden said during Monday's meeting.

Mackie, a Gloucester Township resident who last served as interim vice principal at Lindenwold Middle School earlier this year, will likely work his first full day at Triton the middle of next week.

Triton principal Catherine DePaul has been suspended since Oct. 3, one day before she was charged with covering up information regarding teacher-student sexual relationships during the 2011-12 school year.

BHPRSD will pay Mackie $450 per day on a month-to-month basis. He will not be paid for holidays for which the school is closed, Golden noted.

The board last week called the special meeting for Monday afternoon with the sole purpose of approving Mackie for the interim principal position.

"The superintendent recommends the Board of Education approve the appointment of Dr. Daniel Mackie as interim principal at Triton High School," Golden said a few minutes into the 4:30 p.m. meeting, held at the district's Erial Road office building.

Mackie did not attend Monday's meeting.

A committee consisting of four board members—President Joyce Ellis, Vice President Kevin Bucceroni, Patricia Wilson and J. Jay McMullin—three Triton parents, and central office administrators Brian Repici, Bill Breuer, and David Cappuccio recommended Mackie for the position, Golden said.

"He has a presence. I think he's going to be firm and I think he's going to be fair," Ellis said following the special meeting. "And I think that's what we need."

The board president added she is pleased the district was able to hire "someone of Dr. Mackie's caliber to serve as interim principal," and that she looked forward to working with him.

Ellis, Wilson, McMullin, Mark Schmitz and Lou Johnston voted to approve Mackie's appointment. Board member Jennifer Storer also attended the special meeting, but she abstained from voting, citing the fact her husband, Tom, is vice principal at Highland Regional High School.

Mackie's last work in a high-school environment came when he served as interim principal at Lindenwold High School beginning with his August 2008 appointment. He was paid $400 per day for his work at both Lindenwold schools.

The Class of 1966 Triton alum previously served as principal at Woodbury High School and vice principal at Haddonfield Memorial and Absegami high schools, and also as a teacher and coach at Cherry Hill East, according to Golden.

In addition to DePaul, three teachers and a second administrator have also been charged in the teacher-student sex scandal. All are currently suspended with pay.

Triton vice principals Harold Little, Tom Ambrose, Anthony Tarsatana and Lynne Sireci have shared principal's duties over the past month-plus since DePaul was suspended. Julie Scully, the school's director of counseling, represented Triton at two BHPRSD board meetings held since DePaul was suspended.

Teachers Jeffrey Logandro, Nicholas Martinelli and Daniel Michielli are accused of sexual relationships with now-former students.

The relationships occurred between November 2011 and June 2012, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, which began investigating the alleged relationships in August.

Logandro is accused of inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old former student during the 2011-12 school year, but not of engaging in sexual intercourse with the girl, according to investigative documents.

Records show that Martinelli's victim was 18 years old at the time of the alleged sexual contact and that he and the student did not engage in sexual intercourse until after she had graduated in June.

Michielli is accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old student during the 2011-12 school year. He is the only one of the three teachers who has been charged with sexual assault.

DePaul and former Triton vice principal Jernee Kollock, who became vice principal at Timber Creek on July 1, are accused of attempting to squelch information regarding teacher-student relationships that first came to them in April.

The district is soon going to advertise for an interim vice principal position at Timber Creek, Golden said.

The five suspended educators will keep receiving paychecks until they are indicted on criminal charges, tenure charges seeking their termination are filed or the state Department of Education revokes their education certificates.

BHPRSD Board Solicitor John Wade previously noted the district's "hands are tied" in terms of filing tenure charges due to the fact the prosecutor's office has not yet closed its investigation.

For more on the Triton teacher-student sex charges, visit:

• BHPRSD Picks Daniel Mackie as Triton's Interim Principal
• Black Horse Pike Board Calls Special Meeting
  
• BHPRSD Board to Work with Administration on Triton Interim Principal Search
  
• BHPRSD Board Moves to Take Suspended Educators' Pay
• Suspended Triton Educators Still Drawing Paychecks?
• School District Hires PR Firm in Wake of Triton Sex Scandal
• District, Superintendent Issue Statements on Triton Sex Scandal
• 'Shocked,' 'Astonished' Triton Students React to Sex Scandal
• [UPDATE] Triton Teachers Under Investigation