Ex-superintendent pleads guilty to defecating on high school track

<p>The former Kenilworth school superintendent has pleaded guilty to defecating in a public area while running at the Holmdel High School track.</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 24, 2018, 5:05 PM

Updated 2,239 days ago

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The former Kenilworth school superintendent has pleaded guilty to defecating in a public area while running at the Holmdel High School track.
But Thomas Tramaglini’s attorney is slamming the Holmdel Police Department for releasing Tramaglini’s mugshot, causing the incident to go internationally viral.
“This is a case of a man who has received essentially the death penalty for something that most people who come in, pay their fine and leave,” said attorney Matthew Adams.
Holmdel High School officials notified the police department after someone had repeatedly defecated on the field. Police set up surveillance and caught Tramaglini in the act on May 1.
Tramaglini only admitted to defecating under the high school's bleachers one time on May 1, during a court hearing Wednesday. A plea deal to one count of defecating in public saw the two other charges against Tramaglini, lewdness and littering, dropped.
“I take full responsibility for what happened on May 1. I sincerely apologize for it,” Tramaglini said in court.
Adams tried to bring up the mugshot release in court, but Judge Mary Casey quickly shut him down.
“Move on was my comment,” Casey said. “I don’t know if you missed it. Move on.”
Adams said that that Tramaglini suffers from a medical condition that affects his bowel movements when he runs. But Holmdel prosecutor Steven Zabarsky says that this is no excuse.
“I would certainly think he would scout out the Port-a-John before he started running at the track, No. 1, and No. 2, there's plenty of opportunity and products out there for incontinence for people to wear if they're going to have a problem unexpectedly,” Zabarsky said.
Tramaglini will have to pay a $500 fine and court costs.
He resigned as the superintendent of Kenilworth earlier this year after reaching a separation agreement with the district.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.