Freehold administrators use phony degrees for raises

State education officials are scrambling to develop new restrictions that would prevent administrators from buying bogus degrees from unrecognized schools.
Three Freehold school administrators were caught using the phony degrees to qualify for raises contingent on advanced degrees. Parents were infuriated to learn the degrees were paid for with taxpayers' money.
The degrees were purchased online from a school that openly admits to not being accredited. Superintendent James Wasser is among the school's "graduates."
State education commissioner Lucille Davy says her department is writing rules that would prevent this from happening again. Senate President Dick Codey is also pushing for legislation that would eliminate the problem and wants to launch a statewide probe into the matter.
The state Education Department says the issue is being investigated and all findings will be given to the commissioner on higher education.