Voters in Shamong handily rejected a $25 million school bond question that would have raised property taxes, while a referendum in Mantua was too close to call, officials said Wednesday.
Shamong voters rejected the bond question 797-271, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election in the Burlington County school system.
If approved, the bond issue would have meant a $408 annual property tax increase on a home assessed at the township average of $309,500.
The district had said funding was needed for projects at the Indian Mills and Indian Mills Memorial schools that need immediate action. They included roofing and HVAC work.
Superintendent Mayreni Fermin-Cannon did not respond to a message seeking comment on next steps for the district.
Shamong Mayor Michael Di Croce, who tried unsuccessfully to block Tuesday’s election, hailed the results. Shamong residents make up 90% of the town’s tax base and could not afford an increase, he said.
Di Croce, an attorney, filed a complaint last week on behalf of several residents that contended school officials provided incorrect or misleading information about state funding for the project.
The complaint also alleged the district has refused to disclose why it could not earmark $4 million in capital reserves for renovations prior to seeking a bond referendum.
At a hearing Monday, Superior Court Judge John E. Harrington refused to invalidate the referendum.
“I’m very happy with the way things played out,” Di Croce said Wednesday. “Their whole sky is falling just was not credible and voters didn’t buy it.”
Mantua results too close to call
Meanwhile, the outcome of Tuesday’s vote in Mantua Township on a $39.1 million school bond referendum was too close to call Wednesday.
In preliminary results, there were 1,097 votes opposed and 1,074 votes in favor, the Gloucester County district said. The totals are expected to change over the next few days as officials count mail ballots and verify provisional ballots.
“Regardless of the result, our mission remains the same — to prepare our students for lifelong success through comprehensive academics, community partnerships, and character education,” Superintendent Christine Trampe said in a statement.
The bond issue would fund improvements at all three schools in the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade district, including renovations, roof repairs, and new classrooms.
Trampe called the renovations “true necessities.” Without the funding, the district may need to cut programs, she said.
If approved, the bond issue would increase property taxes about $336 annually on a home assessed at the township average of $311,993.
Elsewhere in the region, voters in Woodbine in Cape May County and Cumberland Regional district in Cumberland County approved bond questions, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Tuesday was one of five times during the year that school boards may ask voters to approve a bond issue or special question. Bond referendums allow districts to pay for projects that cannot readily be funded through their annual operating budget.
“You don’t have to like the fact that merit pay was in there,” Hibbs said of his contract at the board’s most recent meeting. But, he said, he is legally entitled to the payment on top of his $215,000 annual base salary because he met the goals listed in his contract.
And he is not the only South Jersey superintendent who has negotiated merit pay or other bonuses as part of a contract. The measure is a little-known way for New Jersey superintendents to earn higher salaries.
About 54 of the state’s 600 public school chiefs, or about 9%, had perks negotiated in their contracts in the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Education.
Here’s what to know about the practice of giving merit pay to New Jersey superintendents:
How many superintendents get merit pay and how much is it?
In South Jersey, at least eight of nearly 100superintendents had merit or bonus pay provisions in their contracts in the 2023-24 school year, the most recent available state data obtained under the Open Public Records Act. The information may be incomplete because it is compiled from self-reporting by districts, and some superintendents have left their jobs since the data were compiled.
Among the districts offering merit pay are: Barrington, Black Horse Pike Regional, Clayton, Salem County Vocational, Washington Township in Gloucester County, Woodlynne, and West Deptford. Merchantville had it also, but that superintendent has since left the position.
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How much money do superintendents make in bonus pay?
An Inquirer analysis of state data found that bonus compensation packages ranged from $2,000 to $56,989 for the 2023-24 school year.
They included additional pay granted for meeting performance goals or obtaining a doctorate, orlongevity bonuses for years of service.
The districts with the most lucrative merit packages were in North Jersey: $56,989 in Bergen County Vocational; $43,272 in Hudson, and $36,489 in Union.
Clayton Superintendent Nikolaos Koutsogiannis, in his ninth year as schools chief, received $4,350 in longevity pay. He joined the district in 2008 as a principal and is one of the longest-serving superintendents in Gloucester County.
“I enjoy my job here,” Koutsogiannis said. “They wanted to keep me here. I was more than willing to stay.”
The Barrington, Black Horse Pike Regional, Salem County Vocational, and West Deptford superintendents did not respond to numerous email messages.
Some South Jersey districtswhere superintendents are among the highest-paid in the region do not offer merit pay, including Winslow, Lenape Regional, Burlington City, Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill.
Because of the cap, dozens of superintendents left the state for higher salaries elsewhere and districts had difficulty recruiting educators. Others negotiated merit pay and bonuses to boost their earnings.
Gov. Phil Murphy speaks with members of the media after meeting with Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill at the governor’s office in Trenton last month.
Superintendent salaries can vary, as boards negotiate contracts based on experience, district size, and other factors.
The New Jersey Department of Education must approve contracts,including merit pay provisions and goals. Executive county school superintendents review contracts for each district.
Purnell said his association, which provides guidance to more than 600 New Jersey school boards, generally steers them away from considering merit pay. Longevity pay, however, is encouraged as an incentive to keep quality superintendents, he said.
Many superintendents are less interested in pursuing additional goals because merit pay is not factored into pensions, Purnell said.
When merit pay is in a contract, the board and the superintendent establish merit goals at the beginning of the school year. At the end of the year, the superintendent must submit evidence that the goals were met. The executive county superintendent must sign off on the request before any bonuses are paid.
The state specifies quantitative and qualitative goals that may be included in merit pay. It also sets the value of each goal, a percentage of the superintendent’s base salary.
Based on a district’s needs, merit pay may be given for meeting goals such as reducing chronic absenteeism, increasing student achievement, setting up learning academies, or establishing a foundation.
Hibbs’ goals approved by the board include completing Google training presentations, taking online professional development courses, and beefing up security.
In September, records show, the executive county superintendent approved $9,072 in merit pay for Barrington Superintendent Anthony Arcodia for meeting two goals — improved parent communication and overhauling the parent-student handbook.
Barrington school board president Mark Correa said Arcodia waived his right to merit pay for the 2025-26 school year because of the district’s belt-tightening. He will be eligible for merit pay in future years, he said.
The district “believes in rewarding our high-achieving, long-serving superintendent when possible,” Correa wrote in an email this week.
Some school chiefs get a stipend for holding an additional administrative position, such as serving as superintendent and a school principal, typically in smaller districts.
What are the drawbacks of merit pay?
Purnell said merit goals can muddy the waters for districts because superintendents could become so focused on those goals that they lose sight of the overall strategic plan.
“The question would be why do you need to receive merit pay when it’s your responsibility to provide a thorough and efficient education,” Purnell said. “You don’t want the goal to become more important than the best interest of all children.”
“Student outcomes are the result of a whole system and are heavily influenced by factors outside one leader’s control,” Campbell said. “If a district uses merit pay at all, I recommend it be a small slice of compensation.”
West Deptford Superintendent Brian Gismondi poses for a portrait outside the West Deptford Child Development Center in West Deptford earlier this year.
How common is merit pay nationwide?
Merit pay does exist in other states.Earlier this year, the state-appointed superintendent for the Houston Independent School District received a $173,660 bonus based on his annual performance evaluation, which credited him with boosting standardized test scores. His annual base salary is $462,000.
Nationwide, the median salary for a school superintendent was $156,000 for the 2023-24 school year, according to the School Superintendents Association. The group does not track merit pay.
The median superintendent salary among 91 South Jersey school districts was $176,088 for the 2024-25 school year, an Inquirer analysis found.
In Philadelphia, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. recently received a contract extension that will keep him in the nation’s eighth-largest school district through 2030. He is paid $367,710. He does not get merit pay.
Philadelphia School District Superintendent Tony B. Watlington, Sr.
What’s happening with merit pay in Washington Township?
In Washington Township,Hibbs has the most lucrative merit package in South Jersey. He received $25,000 in bonus pay for the 2023-24 school year, according to district records obtained by The Inquirer under the state’s Open Public Records Act.
Hibbs has asked the board several times to approve $27,319 in merit pay for the 2024-25 school year, indicating he had met four of the five goals approved by the board. His contract allows an annual merit bonus of up to 14.99% of his salary, the maximum permitted by the state.
The request has been rejected by the board, failing to get five votes needed. The dispute is expected to lead to another legal showdown between Hibbs and the board.
During a heated exchange at a board meeting last month, Hibbs accused the board of retribution. He was suspended for five months earlier this year over an ethics complaint. A judge ordered his return and Hibbs was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
“My merit pay that was 100% approved and achieved has been consistently voted down by certain members,” Hibbs said at a recent school board meeting.
Hibbs was hired in 2023 with an annual base salary of $215,000, making him among the highest-paid superintendents in South Jersey. His contract runs through 2027.
Staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.
Faced with a forthcoming increase in elementary school enrollment, the Cherry Hill School District may redraw boundaries for its 12 neighborhood schools.
The South Jersey school district has been studying expected demographics for the coming years and came up short; there are not enough available seats to accommodate an anticipated burst in elementary student population.
To meet the demand, the district has undertaken an “Elementary Enrollment Balancing,” which means possibly adjusting where students go to school. Cherry Hill is the 12th-largest district in the state, with nearly 11,000 students.
“We want to make sure there is not a negative impact on children and families,” Superintendent Kwame Morton told parents at a recent community meeting.
Why is Cherry Hill rebalancing its elementary schools?
The demographic study conducted in 2024 showed that five of Cherry Hill’s 12elementary schools are expected to have a shortage of seats in the 2028-29 school year, said George Guy, director of elementary education.
Based on census data and housing construction projections, the district will be short about 337 seats, according to Guy. The demographic survey examined possible growth over a five-year period, from 2024-25 through 2028-29.
“Those kids are coming. We have to do something,” Guy said in a recent interview. “We can’t wait to do it.”
The five schools in question and the expected growth in their enrollment are: Clara Barton,126 students; Joyce Kilmer,81 students; Horace Mann, 50 students; Richard Stockton, 56 students; and Woodcrest Elementary, 50 students, Guy said.
What will the process involve?
It is not yet clear how many students could be affected by the rebalancing, district officials said. Some elementary schools are nearing capacity, and a few have surplus seats.
At a school board presentation this month about the enrollment balancing project, several parents expressed concerns about their children possibly being moved. Parents like the convenience and proximity of a neighborhood school.
“What’s the game plan here?” asked Nicole Marley, who hasthree sons. “I don’t want my kids to leave their school. It’s stressful.”
Guy said possible options include grouping schools by proximity, with nearby schools to share students and programs, and reassigning students to less-crowded schools. Also under consideration is converting the Arthur Lewis administration building to an elementary school, which could accommodate about 200 students, he said.
District officials currently are not considering a bond referendum to raise funds to build a new school, Guy said. In October 2022, Cherry Hill voters overwhelmingly approved a $363 million school bond referendum, one of the largest in New Jersey history.
“We want to be open to anything,” Guy said. “We don’t want to take anything off the table.”
A board committee has been charged with developing a plan to address the overcrowding. Parents peppered the committee with questions at an information session held at Cherry Hill East.
“We’re still very early in the process,” said board president Gina Winters.
Currently, the sprawling 24.5-mile community of nearly 75,000 is divided into elementary school zones. Most students are assigned to a neighborhood school within two miles of where they live.
Morton said the board has set parameters for the rebalancing committee. Besides minimizing potential disruptions, transportation must be taken into consideration, he said.
The district doesn’t want students riding a bus for long periods of time, especially special needs students, Guy said. Two of the affected schools— Barton and Kilmer — are located on the west side of Cherry Hill, while the other three— Mann, Stockton, and Woodcrest — are on the east side.
Kwame Morton, superintendent of Cherry Hill schools.
What is the timeline for the plan?
The committee plans to present a preliminary rebalancing plan to the school board in January or February. A final plan is expected by June or July.
The district held three community meetings in November to get feedback from residents and answer questions. More community meetings are planned for March.
Parent Dan Levin, an urban planner, questioned how the committee gathered its data. He suggested the committee consider more long-term planning for 15 years down the road.
“You’re shooting in the dark,” said Levin, whose son attends James Johnson Elementary. “You’re throwing good money after bad.”
Morton said the district wants to implement the rebalancing plan for the 2027-28 school year, beforeenrollment is expected to swell in the 2028-29 school year.
Will middle schools and high schools be impacted?
Guy said the district’s most pressing need for more seats is at the elementary schools. He said officials are not yet examining future enrollment needs at the middle and high schools.
Winslow Township interim Superintendent Mark Pease had been on the job for a week when he received an urgent message.
A burst pipe in September at the Winslow Middle School had flooded the sprawling complex. Crews were frantically trying to manage the leak that left most sections under several inches of water.
It was the first major challenge for Pease, who stepped into the role toreplace Superintendent H. Major Poteat, who is on medical leave.
Pease shut down the middle school for three days while experts assessed the damage. The school enrolls about 740 seventh and eighth graders.Since then, students have had a hybrid schedule, with two days in person and three virtual learning days per week because the school can accommodate only half its students at one time.
Winslow Middle School will be closed for 30 days after a pipe burst.
Experts determined that the water damage was massive and would require extensive repairs to about 28 classrooms, two gyms, the library, the main office, and the entrance area.
Initially, the project was expected to take about a month, but that timeline has been extended. The repairs, done by All-Risk Property Damage Experts Inc., which specializes in school restoration, could take until January or February to complete, Pease said.
After removing standing water, contractors had to dry out the building and environmental specialists inspected it for mold damage and air quality, Pease said. They had to rip out drywall and flooring.
Pease said the project is expected to cost more than $1 million. Most of it will be covered by insurance after a $5,000 deductible, he said.
“Things are moving. They’re progressing,” Pease said in a recent interview. “We’re pushing really hard.”
A damaged floor in a science classroom at Winslow Township Middle School.
It has not been determined what caused the water main break, Pease said. Custodians were in the building when the leak occurred, he said.
“This wasn’t your normal sink or toilet overflowing,” Pease said. “This was a serious emergency.”
On a recent morning, contractors were making repairs in the art room. Supplies were stockpiled in hallways. Pease said contractors have been working overtime and he hopes the work will be completed ahead of schedule.
Hybrid learning
About half of the building was not damaged by the water main break, so classes are held in that area, Pease said. The cafeteria was not affected, so meals are served to students on their in-person learning days. To-go meals are available on virtual days.
Some parents wanted the district to move the students to another school, but Pease said there was not adequate space. The district enrolls about 5,000 students and has nine schools.
The school day feels different with students only in person two days a week, said parent Mary Kelchner. They especially miss socializing with friends, she said.
“The kids are struggling with it,” said Kelchner, whose daughter, Kathryn, is an eighth grader. “I feel so bad for these kids.”
Pease said the district was able to quickly implement hybrid learning for students and staff using the model introduced during the pandemic, when schools nationwide were shut down by the coronavirus.
The New Jersey Department of Education approved the plan but required the district to make up the three missed days. Other schools in the district remain on their normal schedule.
Winslow interim Superintendent Mark Pease (right) beside subfloor and new hardwood for gymnasium. With him are school principal William Shropshire III and Assistant Superintendent Sheresa Clement.
Parents picked up Chromebooks for students to use for the virtual learning days. Students follow an A-B schedule, with half reporting in person on Mondays and Thursdays and the other half on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The current middle school students were first and second graders when the pandemic upended education around the country and some schools were closed for months.
“These kids are resilient,” said Assistant Superintendent Sheresa Clement.
“It’s definitely setting kids back,” Robinson said. Her daughter, a seventh grader, has adjusted well, she said.
Pease said the district plans to carefully monitor students’ academic performance. Tutoring and remediation will be available if needed, he said.
“Nothing will replace students being in a building in the face of a teacher,” Pease said. “We want them back in school.”
Kelchner said her daughter, a straight-A student, has fallen behind in math. She said her daughter has had technical issues and difficulty hearing the teacher.
“She absolutely hates it,” Kelchner said. “She’s having a hard time keeping up.”
Principal William Shropshire said the school has maintained most of its extracurricular activities but had to forfeit a few home sporting events. Winter sports, which began this week, will be held at other district schools, he said.
An educator for 32 years, Pease said this has been one of the biggest challenges in his career. He previously was employed in the Somerdale and Palmyra school districts. His contract in Winslow runs through June 2026.
“We’re doing our best to get them back in school,” he said.
When special education teacher Mike Surrency decided to use football to connect with sophomore Dave Siegel, there was only one problem.
Surrency is a big-time Philadelphia Eagles fan. Siegel is a die-hard New York Giants fan.
Despite cheering for rival teams, the two forged a friendship that began in 2009 in history class at Cherry Hill High School East and has expanded beyond school and football.
“I can’t get him to start liking the Eagles. I tried,” Surrency said. “He loves the Giants.”
Senior class yearbook photo of Cherry Hill High School East Class of 2010 student and New York Giants fan David Siegel (right) next to page with teacher and Eagles fan Mike Surrency. The two developed a special bond while supporting rival football teams and began attending games together when the NFC teams played in Philadelphia. They will be at the Linc Sunday for the second game between the Eagles and Giants.
A former high school football player and coach, Surrency has been an Eagles season ticket holder since 1990. Siegel took notice when Surrency wore an Eagles jersey to school on Fridays during football season.
Surrency thought football would help him bond with hisstudents. As the inclusion teacher, Surrency helped ensure all students were integrated into the classroom.
“By far, the best teacher I ever had,” Siegel said.
One day, Siegel, then 15, asked his teacher to take him to an Eagles-Giants game at Lincoln Financial Field. (The Eagles won, 40-17.) That began a tradition that continued long after Siegel graduated in 2011.
Cherry Hill High School East class of 2010 graduate and New York Giants fan David Siegel visits teacher and Eagles fan Mike Surrency at the school this week. The two developed a special bond while supporting rival football teams and began attending games together when the NFC teams played in Philadelphia.
‘He’ll protect me’
There will be plenty of traditions and trash-talking before Sunday’s game. The two plan to stop for hoagies on the way to the stadium.
Surrency plans to wear his favorite Eagles jersey. Siegel, 33, usually doesn’t wear Giants fan gear to a game, and especially not this time.
“As a Giants fan, I’m predicting an Eagles blowout,” Siegel said matter-of-factly. “The Eagles are at home and they want revenge.” (The Giants last won in Philadelphia in October 2013, 15-7).
Surrency said his fellowEagles fans in Section 228 have welcomed Siegel. At games leading up to the Giants showdown, they often ask if Siegel will be attending the big contest against their rival team.
“Of course he’s coming. This is his seat,” Surrency responds.
Siegel said he has no worries about possible backlash from zealous Eagles fans. He plans to wear a 76ers jersey — a favorite team for both him and Surrency.
“I’m not afraid of the fans,” Siegel said. “I know I have Surrency. He’ll protect me.”
Cherry Hill High School East Class of 2010 student and New York Giants fan David Siegel quickly removes his jersey after posing for a photo with teacher and Eagles fan Mike Surrency during a visit at the school Monday. Seigel says he “never wears the apparel after they lose,” which they did the day before to the Denver Broncos.
Siegel can easily rattle off statistics about the Eagles-Giants rivalry. He has attended 14 games with Surrency; the Eagles won 12 of those.
The two occasionally travel up the New Jersey Turnpike to attend Eagles-Giants games at MetLife stadium in East Rutherford. They also attend baseball and basketball games.
Cathleen Lynch, a counselor at East, began sharing their story when she learned recently about the special bond between Surrency and his former student.
“It gave me goose bumps,” Lynch said. “It’s amazing that they’re still doing this every year.”
During a recent visit at East, Siegel and Surrency traded jabs about their teams. Surrency wore a custom-made Eagles jersey with his last name and No. 44 — from his high school football-playing days. Siegel wore former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan’s No. 92.
“I always tell people that Surrency is my mentor. I don’t see him as a teacher.”
“This thing we have is definitely bigger than football,” said David Siegel of his former Cherry Hill High School East teacher Mike Surrency. “It’s a blessing to have someone like him in my life.”
‘Bigger than football’
No matter the outcome of an Eagles-Giants game, Siegel and Surrency have a rule that they follow religiously on the ride home afterward: no trash-talking about who won.
“This thing we have is definitely bigger than football,” Siegel said. “It’s a blessing to have someone like him in my life.”
Siegel met Surrency in 2007 while taking summer classes. The two became close, talking about sports. They have opposing baseball teams, too. Siegel is a Mets fan, Surrency a Phillies fan.
Two years later, Siegel was pleasantly surprised to land in Surrency’s U.S. history I class. Surrency took notes provided to all students that helped him pass all four marking periods with two A’s and two B’s and a final grade of a B, Siegel said.
A former Sony sales rep, Surrency, 62, became a teacher when the company downsized. He has been at East for his entire 22-year teaching career.
“It was the best thing to happen,” Surrency said.
Surrency, the father of an adult daughter and a grandfather, said he has invited other students to Eagles games. Siegel, by far, has attended the most games with him.
Over the years, their relationship has changed from teacher-student, he said. Siegel, a recreation therapist at a nursing home, often calls Surrency for advice.
“I just want to make sure he’s fine in the outside world. I’m there if he needs me, no matter what,” Surrency said.
After graduating law school in the 1950s, Joseph H. Rodriguez was told he wouldn’t go far and should consider changing his last name.
He ignored that advice and went on to becomeNew Jersey’s first Hispanic federal judge — and its longest serving. He recently retired after 40 years as a jurist.
He was among the first Hispanic lawyers in Camden, and New Jersey as a whole. He also served asthe state’s public defender and advocate.
Rodriguez mentored countless aspiring lawyers and judges, and as his stature rose nationally he never forgot his humble roots. Associates dubbed him“a gentle giant.”
“He served with humility, grace, wisdom, and humor,” said Chief U.S. District Judge Renee M. Bumb, who met Rodriguez as a federal prosecutor. “We all looked up to him.”
U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, 94, sits for an interview at his daughter’s law office in Cherry Hill, N.J. U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, 94, was the first Hispanic federal judge in New Jersey. His father, Mario Rodriguez, survived the 1918 sinking of the SS Carolina.
Rodriguez became a senior judgein 1998,which reduced his workload, but he continued to preside over trials and write opinions, filing his last decision about three weeks before he retired.
‘I just wanted to slip into the shadows’
Rodriguez decided last month to quietly retire. He left the Mitchell Cohen Courthouse in downtown Camden after an emotional send-off with fellow judges and friends.
“I just wanted to slip into the shadows.” hesaid in a recent interview. “What I’ve done some people were in favor of it, some were not. It’s there as a public record. I stand by it.”
Rodriguez was born in 1930 in Camden and grew up a few blocks from the courthouse where he would later preside.
His father, Mario, a Cuban national raised in Puerto Rico, was aboard the passenger ship SS Carolina when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey in June 1918.
The New York Times front page story about the sinking of the SS Carolina in 1918. U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez has a copy of the paper because his father survived the sinking.
The Germans targeted six ships on what was known as Black Sunday. The Carolina sunk, and Mario Rodriguez spent two days on a lifeboat before swimming ashore in Atlantic City.
Rodriguez would later have a full circle moment, when scuba divers made a claim in federal court to salvage the vessel. He said hegranted sole rights after the divers presented a brass “C” from the ship’s name on the stern and a china dinner plate with its logo.
Mario raised four sons and a daughter in Camdenwith his wife, Carmen, and worked in a tobacco factory.
The couple, among the first Hispanic families to settle in Camden, was highly respected in the community, and often served as interpreters and gave advice to other Hispanic residents.
As a youngster, Rodriguez recalled hearing his father recite the U.S. Constitution to study to become a citizen, which he did in 1939 — in the same courtroom where his son later became a judge.
The memory stuck with Rodriguez and became a guiding principle in his legal career. His parents and sister were killed in a car accident in 1973.
When he landed his first job at a real estate firm, the agent urged Rodriguez to change his name to Joe Roddy.
“I was told with that name I could never go far,” he recalled. “I would never change my name.”
An undated Army photograph of Joseph H. Rodriguez, now 94, and his wedding photo.
Rodriguez was hired as an attorney at Brown & Connery, one of the oldest law firms in South Jersey. He earned a reputation as a tough trial lawyer and specialized in medical malpractice. He later became the first Hispanic president of the New Jersey Bar Association.
Rodriguez was pressed into action when unrest erupted in Camden in 1971, after a Hispanic man was killed while in police custody. The Hispanic community demanded an investigation. A protest turned into days of rioting in front of City Hall.
Then the only known Hispanic lawyer in Camden, Rodriguez met with then-Mayor Joe Nardi to negotiate a settlement. The police officers were eventually indicted by a grand jury, but acquitted.
The Courier-Post edition pictures a riot at Roosevelt Plaza at Camden City Hall Aug. 20, 1971.
“He was the calm in the eye of the storm,” said Gualberto “Gil” Medina, who organized a student protest at the time. “He made it clear that the cause was just but the means had to be tempered.”
Rodriguez eventually left Camden for the suburbs but remained connected to the city. He was one of the original organizers of Camden’s San Juan Bautista Parade.
“He became the respected patriarch of the Hispanic community,” said Medina.
`A public conscience’
Rodriguez advocated in manyprecedent-setting cases for New Jersey’s disenfranchised residents. They includea landmark product liability case that resulted in the state Supreme Court ruling in 1965 that a mass builder could be held liable for a defective hot water system that severely scalded a child.
As chairman of Camden Legal Services, he brought a lawsuit that resulted in a requirement for municipal judges to appoint a lawyer to represent defendants facing possible jail time. Another case established tenant rights.
Then-Gov. William T. Cahill named Rodriguez chairman of the State Board of Higher Education in 1972, and later chairman of the State Commission of Investigation, where he investigated organized crime.
Although Rodriguez wasa Democrat, former Republican Gov. Thomas Kean appointed him as the state’s Public Advocate in 1982.
In that role, Rodriguez filed the complaint that lead to Mount Laurel doctrine, through which the New Jersey Supreme Court outlawed local discriminatory zoning regulations and required municipalities to provide affordable housing.
“He always had a public conscience,” said Carl D. Poplar, a lawyer and longtime friend.
Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, 94, posed for a portrait with his daughter Lisa Rodriguez at her law office in Cherry Hill this month.
Rodriguez also was involved in the landmark right-to-die case of Karen Ann Quinlan, whose parents waged a fight to have her removed from a respirator.
“We didn’t go around looking for trouble. If it had to be done and people had to be helped, you help them,” Rodriguez said.
President Ronald Reagan appointed Rodriguez to the federal bench in 1985.
Rodriguez was known as an easygoing andfair judge. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist dispatched Rodriguez to Montgomery, Ala., in 1999 to preside over a desegregation case.
“It was like going to heaven working for him,” said Carl Nami, his court reporter for 18 years. “I don’t how I was so fortunate.”
Nicknamed “Joe Rod,” Rodriguez was a role model for other judges, said retired U.S. Magistrate Joel B. Rosen. He could always be counted on for jokes and bad puns at their weekly lunch gatherings, he said.
“He’s always been a gentleman and what in my view what a judge should be: knowledgeable and fair,” Rosen said.
Said Robert Kugler, another retired federal judge: “He kept the courthouse going.” The jury room was named in honor of Rodriguez.
“His judicial demeanor and temperament are unrivaled,” said civil rights attorney Stanley O. King. “The likes of him I don’t know if can ever be replaced or replicated.”
U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez performed the marriage ceremony of his granddaughter Taylor Jacobs to Cole Sutliff. It was held in the same courtroom where Rodriguez presided in federal court in Camden for years.
Before stepping down, Rodriguez performed a final act as a sitting judge. He performed the wedding ceremony for a granddaughter, Taylor, in his courtroom. He also recently married a grandson, Quinn, in a beach ceremony.
Rodriguez said he plans to spend more time with his wife of 71 years, Barbara, and his four daughters, 10 grandchildren, and seven great-children. He enjoys cooking for them, especially paella, his specialty dish.
U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez performed the marriage ceremony of his grandson Quinn Jacobs and Brittany Peters at the Jersey Shore.
Asked what he would like his legacy to be, Rodriguez choked back tears. His daughter, Lisa Rodriguez, an attorney with Dilworth Paxson, passed him a tissue.
“You can’t do it all, but you should never stop trying,” he said. “If everyone backs away you’re just giving up.”
