Recall Effort Against Park Ridge School Board Member Blocked by County Decision
After Bergen County officials invalidated recall petitions against Park Ridge Board of Education trustee Robert Fisher Jr., the effort has stalled. This week, the county clerk’s office rejected recall election signatures because the petition papers missed the notarization necessary by California election law.
Recallers say Fisher no longer fits board residency criteria since he lives in Tennessee while attending Vanderbilt University. Campaign supporters collected almost 2,100 signatures, exceeding the minimal requirement for a recall item on the November ballot. Fisher’s counsel opposed the petitions, and the county agreed.
The county determined that petitions without notarization are void because state law does not allow for flexibility. Recall organizers were disappointed and stated the decision contradicted clerk’s office directions. The recall committee called the verdict a “injustice” to the more than 2,000 residents who signed a recall notice and said they were considering legal options to appeal. They have 10 business days to appeal and keep the question on the November ballot.
Fisher, 18, who was elected in 2023 just months after graduating from Park Ridge High School, praised the ruling. He called the recall effort an attempt to undermine voter will and said he wanted to focus on school district issues. He stressed opioid misuse, mental health, and public money policies.
Fisher’s board membership is disputed given he moved for college approximately 1,000 miles away. He has missing many board meetings this year and declined to serve on school policy committees, critics claim. They also note that his parents left the borough. Fisher claims that his legal residency is in Park Ridge due to a family arrangement and that he has paid for airfare back there to attend meetings. He avoids committee assignments since they are closed to the public and he values transparency.
Superintendent Robert Gamper said Fisher missed the August 25 board meeting. Local politicians continue to support the young trustee. Fisher publicly thanked State Senator Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman John Azzariti for their support during the recall process, calling them strong opponents of “lies and age discrimination.”
Around 1,200 students attend Park Ridge Elementary and High School. Fisher gained his seat in 2023 when he and three others ran unchallenged for three board seats. He was elected third with 1,370 votes and took office in January 2024. He insists that Park Ridge voters elected him and that he will serve out his term notwithstanding the status debate.
Unless supporters win in court, the recall movement is suspended. Fisher stays on the board, and the community will monitor the legal fight in the coming days.
Sources
Bergen County Clerk’s Office
Park Ridge Board of Education
Committee to Recall Robert Fisher Jr.
