Janitor blamed for Edison school fire gets to retire

EDISON – The custodian accused of burning down an entire elementary school may be on his way to collecting a public pension.

Jerome Higgins, the head custodian accused of improperly discarding a cigarette that sparked the fire at James Monroe Elementary School, is no longer a district employee after resigning, effective June 30, for the purpose of retirement.

Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept the resignation during a brief special meeting.

"Hopefully this will allow us to bring closure on his issue with James Monroe and will let the district move on from here," Board of Education President Veena Iyer said.

Higgins was eligible for retirement after having worked in the district for 25 years and four months. He was assigned to James Monroe for the 2013-14 school year as facilities manager, overseeing custodial operations to ensure a safe, clean and comfortable environment.

Higgins, of East Brunswick, had been on paid administrative leave since the March 22 six-alarm fire that destroyed the one-story Sharp Road school building located in a residential neighborhood off Grandview Avenue.

A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Sept. 5. If convicted, he could face 30 days in the county jail, a $500 fine and possibly be required to pay restitution.

In addition, the district filed tenure charges against Higgins related to smoking on school grounds, failing to extinguish a cigarette, destruction of Board of Education property, repeatedly smoking on school grounds and lying to the school principal.

According to the tenure charges, Higgins told a James Monroe School teacher he always put cigarette butts in the mop water, then wraped them in paper towels before putting them in the trash can. He also told police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office that he had been smoking in the school and threw a cigarette in a trash container, igniting the fire.

As the school facilities manager, Higgins was responsible for checking the school on weekends, to make sure everything was working before students and staff returned on Monday.

School security system records show Higgins entered the school at 4:51 p.m. March 22 and left at 5:14 p.m. Records show he was the only person in the school until the time of the fire around 7:45 p.m., according to the tenure charges.

The school, built during the 1960s, was not equipped with a sprinkler system since building codes at that time did not require them. The school was so heavily damaged by fire it was torn down last month.

The fire displaced about 500 students, teachers and staff.

Starting Sept. 3, James Monroe School will move to the former St. Cecelia's School in the Iselin section of Woodbridge for the 2015-16 school year.

A new James Monroe Elementary School will be built on the Sharp Road site. LAN Architects has been selected to design the new school and obtain all the necessary permits and approvals. Construction is scheduled to begin by March and completed in time for the new school to open in September 2016.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com