For immediate Release
Allegations of credentials falsification by Passaic County Freeholder candidate require immediate action by Democratic Party leadership.
Contact Aref Assaf, 973-960-2673

See related follow-up story

Paterson, NJ, 4/28/2006: The Herald News today alleges that Joanne Graziano, chosen to replace Arab American Sami Merhi on the Democratic Party’s ticket for the Passaic County’s Freeloader has falsified her academic credentials. The Herald News stated that Ms. Craziano “faces charges she forged academic credentials that allowed her to work as an administrator in the Paterson school district.” As a result, her salary was raised to reflect her stated academic credentials. The Democratic Party has not taken any action on the matter.

It is the view of the American Arab Forum, AAF, that assumption of innocence must precede charges of impropriety or criminal intent. Aref Assaf, President of AAF stated that “we are confident that both the legal system and the party’s leadership will earnestly endeavor to uncover the truth and upon which take the appropriate action. However, should these allegations are proven valid, the Party must resolutely remove Ms. Craziano from the approved slate of candidates. He further added, " a candidate’s ethical and personal conduct must be untarnished and subject to fair scrutiny and exemplary behavior.”
We expect Governor John Corzine, Senator Bob Menendez, who actively sought to distance themselves from Arab American Sami Merhi’s candidacy to state their positions on this more egregious charge of misconduct. It is our strong view that Mr. Merhi was unfairly dealt with and that the party failed to address our concerns and our strong opposition to their decision to remove Mr. Merhi.
It is our expectations, to avoid the appearance of hypocrisy and racism, that the  Party leadership will be unequivocal in their opposition to the candidacy of Ms Craziano if the charges against her are proven correct.
We also call on the leadership of the Passaic Party leadership to reopen up the selection process to other qualified candidates including Sami Merhi.

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POLITICS
Sub for Merhi in hot water
Herald News
Friday, April 28, 2006

By PAUL BRUBAKER
HERALD NEWS



PASSAIC COUNTY

Democratic Freeholder candidate Joanne Graziano, who was tapped by party leaders last month to replace Sami Merhi, faces charges she forged academic credentials that allowed her to work as an administrator in the Paterson school district, according to documents obtained by the Herald News.


Graziano, who holds licenses to teach elementary school and Spanish, claimed she was certified by the state in 1980 to be a principal or supervisor in a public school, according to the state Education Department's Board of Examiners, which initiated legal action against her on Sept. 22, 2005.

The Examiners Board has asserted that New Jersey has no record of Graziano obtaining the certificate to be an administrator. Graziano said on Thursday that during the time allegations were made by the state, she went from being a vice principal at School 18 to a seventh-grade academic support teacher at School 15.

In the meantime, Graziano is scheduled to face a state administrative law judge on Nov. 14 concerning her academic and administrative certification.

In addition, a resume on file with the Paterson school district indicates Graziano holds a master's degree, a state requirement to work as a school administrator, from Montclair State University. However, the school's registrar said Graziano never graduated.

Graziano, 53, of Hawthorne, denied any wrongdoing.

"I have completed all of my credentials," she said. "I have had this (administrator) certificate for 25 years. It (the matter) is going to be resolved very shortly."

In March, Passaic County Democratic Party leaders overwhelmingly chose Graziano to replace Merhi, an Arab-American businessman from Totowa, on the party's ticket after high-ranking Democrats, including Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-Hoboken, had refused to support Merhi's candidacy.

Their objection to Merhi was over a remark he reportedly made in 2002 that he could not see the comparison between Palestinian suicide bombers and the "cold-blooded murderers" who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

Merhi has since said the statement, which was interpreted by some as sanctioning terrorism against Israel, was taken out of context and that he condemns all killing of innocent civilians.

Former Passaic County Schools Superintendent Judith Weiss, who retired in October 2005, said she had forwarded Graziano's teaching and administrative certificates to the state Education Department in July 2005 after her staff had noticed irregularities between the documents while processing assignments for summer school.

"The administrative certificate did not look like it was authentic," Weiss recalled.

Meanwhile, Ann Frechette, a spokeswoman for Montclair State, said Graziano completed graduate-level education courses from 1976 to 1985, but did not receive a degree.

But Graziano maintained she had completed 39 credits toward a master's degree. While she admitted she had not taken the comprehensive exams, Graziano characterized the certification issue as a technical glitch.

"It's a matter of reviewing that the credentials are in order for the master's to be complete," she said.

Meanwhile, Paterson school district officials have remained mum over Graziano's credentials.

Luis Rojas, the district's human resources director, confirmed that Graziano is currently employed at Public School 15 at 98 Oak St. in Paterson.

School district officials refused to comment further citing the matter was a personnel issue.

Graziano has worked in the Paterson school district for 31 years, six of them as vice principal, beginning in 1999, she said.

The transition in September from administrator to teacher involved a $10,000 cut from her yearly salary, she said.

However, the annual $92,000 Graziano currently earns is partially based on the presupposition that she holds a master's degree, she said.

Graziano's bid for freeholder marks the third time in the past year that she has sought public office.

On April 18, Hawthorne voters re-elected Graziano to the borough's school board, on which she has served for 15 years. In November 2005, she unsuccessfully ran for Borough Council.

Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie said on Thursday Graziano had informed him about the certification issue when she was reviewed as a possible freeholder candidate in March.

"She's led me to believe that it was some error in paperwork," he said. "I have Joanne's word that these things will be rectified. I have to take her at her word."

As for what the allegations against Graziano could mean politically for the Democratic freeholder ticket, Currie said he simply didn't have enough details to decide.

"I might have to have another discussion with her," Currie said.

Reach Paul Brubaker at (973) 569-7155 or brubaker@northjersey.com.


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