Former Paterson School Employee Claims He Was Forced Out After Expunged Past Resurfaced

After staff members revealed details about his decades-old criminal conviction, which was overturned and cleared, former Paterson Public Schools media specialist is suing the district in federal court for firing him.

The lawsuit states that 64-year-old Askiaa Nash joined Roberto Clemente School in August 2024 to complete a yearlong teacher-residency program that provided training, classroom support, and professional mentoring for new teachers. Nash claimed the guarantee never arrived. He claims he entered a dangerous, rumor-filled environment.

Nash was charged 20 years ago. In 2002, he was found guilty of student accusations as a Newark librarian. After nine years, the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned his conviction for concealing vital facts. The arrest and conviction expungement cleared him.

The lawsuit claims Nash’s Paterson coworkers searched the internet for case records despite expungement. He believes exclusion prevented him from working. Nash claims he was denied school meetings, training, and student data.

An staffer allegedly told Nash that other teachers had learned about his past and rejected him. Nash claims he was shunned in hallways, disregarded in groups, and dismissed. He claims other staff members denied him elevator access and excluded him from the holiday celebration.

Nash believes this environment affected his teacher-residency program and administrative credibility. Nash blames months of seclusion and little support for his June 2025 termination. His lawsuit claims his final evaluation disqualified him from district work.

He requests reinstatement and $10 million in damages and $5 million for emotional distress from a federal jury. He claims disinformation regarding an erased case lost him his job.

Paterson Public Schools is mute on litigation.

Sources

Information based on publicly available news reports and details from the federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.