Camden School District superintendent calls on Wasim Muhammad to step down

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The state-appointed superintendent of the Camden City School District is calling on the embattled president of the school advisory board, Wasim Muhammad, to step down.

Katrina McCombs’ letter comes a week after residents called on Muhammad to resign during a tense public meeting. Muhammad’s former student, Salema Hicks Robinson, accused him of sexually assaulting her. Robinson alleged she was victimized 30 years ago, when she was in middle school and Muhammad was her social studies teacher.

“The recent events have deeply impacted our district, and have created an environment that is not conducive to the start of a successful school year,” she wrote.

The academic year in Camden starts Friday.

“In order to allow our community to heal and refocus on what truly matters — the education and future of our students — it would be in the best interest of the state-operated district of Camden City for Advisory Board President Wasim Muhammad to voluntarily relinquish his seat,” McCombs said.

“My client’s position remains steadfast. He did not commit any of the alleged acts Ms. Robinson professes and the jury denied her sexual allegation claims,” said Troy Archie. “He will continue as board president and continue to do the good work he has done for the last 10 years.”

A jury rejected the claim that Muhammad attacked Robinson, but held Muhammad and the district liable for “willful misconduct,” “negligence in supervising Muhammad” and for permitting “a sexually hostile educational environment.”

The district settled the lawsuit for $2 million. Muhammad has steadfastly refused to resign.

Antionette Miles, state director of New Jersey Working Families Party, called McCombs’ call “a critical moment for members of the Camden community,” adding, “it’s long past time for Wasim Muhammad to resign from the Camden City School Board.”

“We welcome this move from the superintendent, who has listened to the concerned residents, parents and students in the city of Camden by calling on Wasim Muhammad to step down from his seat on the school board,” she said. “We now need the rest of the Camden School Advisory Board, the mayor and city council members to also echo that call.”

Jeff Fritz, Robinson’s attorney, said leaving it up to Muhammad is “simply not enough.”

“While Superintendent McComb’s request that Advisory Board President Muhammad voluntarily resign is a positive step, we believe the District and Superintendent have the power to terminate him right now,” Fritz said. “They should fire him immediately.”

According to Lester Taylor, the board’s solicitor, neither the board nor McCombs has the authority to remove Muhammad. A board member can only be removed if they get a criminal conviction, miss three consecutive meetings or reside outside the district.

Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer added his own call for Muhammed to step down. He said McCombs’ statement reinforces Gov. Phil  Murphy’s call for Muhammed to resign earlier this year, when the civil case was first reported.

“I firmly believe that the Camden community deserves to start the school year focused on providing excellent educational opportunities for their students rather than focused on unnecessary and harmful distractions,” Dehmer said.

Maggie Garbarino, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said Murphy “continues to believe that [Muhammad] should resign.”

“The appalling and heinous allegations levied against Mr. Muhammad jeopardize his ability to effectively serve the Camden City School District,” she said.

Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen has not responded to a request for comment.