Sayreville athletics director suspended with pay

Sayreville head football coach George Najjar remains suspended with pay from his physical education teaching position at the high school. He was suspended on Oct. 16, the day the school district began an internal investigation into his gridiron program.

Seven Sayreville football players were criminally charged two months ago with the alleged hazing and sexual assault of four teammates inside the team's locker room.

School officials did not provide a reason for the suspension of Kohutanycz, according to the NJ Advance Media report.

Kohutanycz, who earned $127,400 last year, according to MyCentralJersey.com's Data Universe records of New Jersey public employees, will begin his suspension Dec. 17, NJ Advance Media reported.

Attempts to reach Kohutanycz on his cell phone Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

Carl Buffalino, president of the Greater Middlesex Conference, of which Sayreville is a member, said while he respects any decision the Sayreville Board of Education may make regarding Kohutanycz's employment status, he holds the athletics administrator in the highest regard.

"If you are asking me how JK is as a person, he is highly trustworthy," Buffalino said, noting Kohutanycz, whose peers call him by his initials, has served as Sayreville athletics director for about a decade and previously held the same post at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen.

Kohutanycz was named the GMC's Athletics Director of the Year in 2006-07.

"His absence will not only be a loss to the GMC, but I think it will be a loss to the student-athletes and coaches of Sayreville, as well," Buffalino said, noting Kohutanycz served as the league's treasurer and served as a committee chair for two of the conference's championship tournaments.

Last month, the school board voted to reinstate four assistant football coaches who had been suspended with pay. The seven charged players have been suspended from school.