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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
MARCH 18, 2026
Mary Cruz, Acting Chairperson
Dolores Gorczyca
Diomedes Tsitouras
Christina Mongon
MARCH 18, 2026
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A regular meeting of the Civil Service Commission was held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in Trenton, New Jersey.
PRESENT: Mary Cruz, Acting Chairperson; Members Dolores Gorczyca, Diomedes Tsitouras, and Christina Mongon; Levi Klinger-Christiansen, Deputy Attorney General; Dulce A. Sulit-Villamor, Director, Division of Appeals and Regulatory Affairs; and Annemarie Ragos-Goff, Commission Secretary, were present. All individuals listed participated via teleconference.
In accordance with L.1975, c.231, the Secretary to the Civil Service Commission opened the meeting with the following statement:
Notice of this meeting was filed with the Secretary of State and sent to the Trentonian, Trenton Times, Courier-Post and Star Ledger on November 5, 2025, and posted at the Civil Service Commission, 3 Station Plaza, Trenton, New Jersey.
All actions were by unanimous vote unless otherwise specified.
Submitted for adoption are the Civil Service Commission minutes of its meeting of February 25, 2026.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission adopted the minutes of its meeting of February 25, 2026.
VOTE: Mary Cruz (Abstain)
Dolores Gorczyca (Yes)
Diomedes Tsitouras (Yes)
Christina Mongon (Yes)
WITHDRAWAL OF APPEALS
The following appeals were withdrawn and removed from the hearing calendar:
Gregory Johnson, Judiciary, Monmouth Vicinage, release at the end of the working test period.
Brendan Kennedy, City of Rahway, Police Department, suspension.
Christopher Ortiz, City of Vineland, Department of Public Safety, removal.
Lynn Peterson-Williams, Union County, Department of Human Services, removal.
JonCarlos Rodriguez, Camden County, Sheriff’s Office, removal.
James Rone-Lewis, Newark School District, removal.
Ilvira Salazar, Department of Transportation, release at the end of the working test period.
Monique Spruill, Department of Children and Families, return to previously held permanent title.
Jose Torres, Vineland School District, removal.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission noted the withdrawal of the appeals without prejudice.
DISMISSAL FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR
The Civil Service Commission dismissed the following case(s) without prejudice for failure to appear at the scheduled hearing before the Office of Administrative Law:
Travis Langevine, Union County, Department of Human Services, release at the end of the working test period.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission noted the dismissal of the appeal without prejudice.
SECTION A – HEARING MATTERS
A-1 SETTLEMENTS
Russell A. Ciuba
City of Asbury Park
Department of Public Maintenance
Matthew Harding-Simmons (Consolidated)
City of East Orange
Department of Public Safety
Juliet Roberts
New Lisbon Development Center
Department of Children and Families
Sunderdat Sookram
Newark Housing Authority
Linda Sowell-Washington (2)
Burlington County
Jail
Caroline Tutak
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission acknowledged the settlements.
A-2 RONALD ARTIS-FONT – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-2007
Ronald Artis-Font, a Police Officer with the City of East Orange, Department of Public Safety, was suspended for 10 working days, effective March 21, 2025, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the 10 working day suspension.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission modified the 10 working day suspension to a five working day suspension.
A-3 LEAH BOYER – CSC DOCKET NO. 2023-2652
Leah Boyer, a Principal Payroll Clerk with the City of Trenton, Department of Administration, was removed, effective March 20, 2023, on charges of conduct unbecoming a public employee and other sufficient cause, specifically, misconduct.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the removal.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.
VOTE: Mary Cruz (No)
Dolores Gorczyca (Yes)
Diomedes Tsitouras (Yes)
Christina Mongon (Yes)
A-4 CHRISTOPHER CEVALLOS – CSC DOCKET NO. 2022-2272
Christopher Cevallos, a Guard with the Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of State Police, was removed, effective March 1, 2022, on charges of insubordination, conduct unbecoming a public employee, and neglect of duty.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge –Uphold the removal.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.
VOTE: Mary Cruz (Yes)
Dolores Gorczyca (Recuse)
Diomedes Tsitouras (Yes)
Christina Mongon (Yes)
A-5 MIGUEL FIGUEROA – CSC DOCKET NO. 2024-110
Miguel Figueroa, a Sheriff’s Officer with Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, was removed, effective December 7, 2022, on charges of conduct unbecoming a public employee, other sufficient cause, and violation of departmental rules and regulations pertaining to the standard of conduct and truthfulness.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the removal.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.
A-6 DAVID TISHLER – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-699
David Tishler, a Code Enforcement Officer with Burlington City, Department of Housing and Community Development, was removed, effective September 9, 2024, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties; insubordination; conduct unbecoming a public employee; neglect of duty; and other sufficient cause.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Grant the motion to dismiss.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.
A-7 KAREN WALSH – CSC DOCKET NO. 2023-2701
Karen Walsh, a Judiciary Clerk 3 with the Judiciary, Morris/Sussex Vicinage, was suspended for 10 working days, effective May 1, 2023, on charges of incompetency, inefficiency or failure to perform duties; neglect of duty; and other sufficient cause, specifically, a violation of the appointing authority’s code of conduct regarding the performance of duties.
Recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge – Uphold the 10 working day suspension.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission affirmed the recommendation of the Administrative Law Judge.
SECTION B – MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
B-1 Q.L. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2026-578
Q.L. appeals the bypass of his name on the Police Officer (M0365F), Paterson, eligible list.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.
B-2 FABIENNE DEBE – CSC DOCKET NO. 2025-2805
Fabienne Debe appeals the determination of the Division of Agency Services, which found that she did not meet the experience requirement for the open competitive examination for Family Service Worker (C0159G), Essex County.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be denied.
B-3 ANTHONY STENECK, ET AL. – CSC DOCKET NOS. 2026-1252, ET AL.
Anthony Steneck (PM2792G), Belmar; Michael Barros and Herbert Gonzalez (PM2802G), Elizabeth; Michael Manfredi (PM2840G), Ewing; Anthony Pizzi (PM2806G), Garfield; Christopher DiBiase and Christopher Garretson (PM2813G), Lakewood; Christopher Trokovich (PM2820G), North Brunswick; Sean Donohue (PM2821G), Ocean City; Christopher Estevez, Sebastian Gomez and Pedro Menacho (PM2823G), Paterson; and Damian Samojlik (PC2725G), Union County, appeal the examination for County Police Lieutenant and Police Lieutenant (Various Jurisdictions).
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that these appeals be denied.
B-4 BRIAN TURNER, ET AL. – CSC DOCKET NOS. 2026-1246, ET AL.
Brian Turner (PM2740G), Elizabeth; Joshua Clark (PM2766G), Ocean City; George Tsimpedes (PM2768G), Parsippany-Troy Hills; Abdelmonlim Hamdeh (PM2769G), Paterson; and William Kilcomons (PM2781G), Sayreville, appeal the examination for Police Captain (Various Jurisdictions).
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that these appeals be denied.
B-5 DAVID STEPHENSON – CSC DOCKET NO. 2026-561
David Stephenson requests to be admitted to the Police Lieutenant (PM2800G), East Orange, promotional examination.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this request be denied.
B-6 R.A. – CSC DOCKET NO. 2026-50
R.A., a Supervising Family Service Specialist 1 with the Department of Children and Families, appeals the determination of the Deputy Commissioner, which found sufficient evidence that the appellant had violated the New Jersey State Policy Prohibiting Discrimination in the Workplace.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this appeal be referred to the Office of Administrative Law for a hearing.
B-7 CHRISTOPHER BOLLER – CSC DOCKET NO. 2026-808
Ewing, represented by David J. Truelove, Esq., requests reconsideration of the Civil Service Commission’s decision in In the Matter of Christopher Boller, Ewing (CSC, decided September 10, 2025).
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this request be denied.
B-8 KAMIL WARRAICH – CSC DOCKET NOS. 2024-2160 AND 2025-734
Kamil Warraich, a former Police Lieutenant with the Asbury Park Police Department, represented by Zinovia H. Stone, Esq., requests reconsideration of the final decision of the Civil Service Commission, rendered on September 4, 2024, that denied his petition for interim relief regarding his immediate suspension without pay, effective May 24, 2024. The appellant also appeals the failure of Asbury Park to fill all the Police Captain positions established by ordinance.
ACTION: The Civil Service Commission directed that this request be denied.
PUBLIC PORTION
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