Pulling Back the Curtain: Hypocrisy Exposed in Hardyston's Board
March 11, 2025, wasn’t just another Board of Education meeting in Hardyston - it was a masterclass in accountability, thanks to Nick Demsak.
With clarity (and a little fire), Demsak pulled back the curtain on the glaring hypocrisy of Board President Donna Carey and Vice President Jean Barrett. And when the dust settled, it was obvious: their selective policymaking and double standards had been laid bare for everyone to see.
📖 Policy 0174: Transparency for Thee, But Not for Me
First up: Policy 0174 (Legal Services).
Carey and Barrett pushed to revise it, saying they just wanted to “align with other districts.” But… funny thing: the revision expanded their own power to consult legal counsel whenever they pleased.
When Demsak proposed a simple, logical addition - require the board to be notified anytime legal counsel is used - they shot it down without blinking.
Demsak called it like it was: if you’re copying other districts, why cherry-pick the parts that just happen to benefit you?
Crickets from Carey and Barrett.
And it got worse: Barrett even falsely claimed that the previous board president had secretly contacted the attorney about her and Carey-a claim that’s, frankly, 100% false.
(Still waiting on that “evidence,” Jean.)
📜 Policy 5756: The Selective Standards Continue
Next came the drama over Policy 5756, which dealt with accommodations for transgender students.
Carey and Barrett led the charge to abolish the policy, but Demsak caught the double standard instantly.
If tweaking a non-mandatory policy like 0174 was fine-why did 5756 have to be abolished entirely?
If “aligning with other districts” was the excuse for one, why ignore the fact that no surrounding district had removed this policy?
Once again: no coherent answers from Carey and Barrett.
Carey even tried to rewrite history, claiming the former president once voted against abolishing 5756 because he “sided with the other side.” (Not true. His actual concern? Ensuring proper oversight-something Carey and Barrett clearly had no interest in.)
Instead of leading, they created confusion and risk, leaving staff and students with less guidance, not more.
💸 The Real Financial Cost of Carey’s Leadership
If all the policy double-speak wasn’t enough, Demsak also dropped some uncomfortable truths about wasted money.
Thanks to Carey’s endless legal consultations (many kept quiet from the full board), Hardyston taxpayers have already shelled out over $10,000 in legal fees-including $2,268 for a memo no one even knew about until much later.
So while Carey and Barrett were busy fighting for more power under Policy 0174, they were racking up bills behind the scenes.
Accountability? Transparency? Fiscal responsibility?
Not even close.
💛 The Real Takeaway: Political Theater, Not Governance
By the end of the meeting, one thing was painfully clear: Carey and Barrett’s policy moves weren’t about kids. They were about politics.
And Nick Demsak’s performance? It wasn’t just impressive-it was necessary.
Because if policies can be rewritten to grab more power and scrapped to chase political agendas, what does that say about the board’s priorities?
If “transparency” only shows up when it’s convenient-how can anyone trust that decisions are being made for the right reasons?
Hardyston deserves better.
Thanks to Nick Demsak, the double standards are out in the open.
And now, it’s up to the community to demand better, too.