Targeted Atlantic City school board member resigns

Staff Writer

The Atlantic City school board member who was accused of not living in the district has resigned.
Farook Hossain tendered his resignation Thursday, BreakingAC has learned.
The letter offers no explanation, only that it is effective immediately.
On Monday, the district website was advertising for a new Board of Education member.
“Board of Education is a seeking qualified resident to fill an unexpired term on the Board of Education, which will run through December, 2021,” the announcement reads.
Hossain did not respond to requests seeking comment. His attorney said he no longer represents Hossain.
In January, board solicitor Tracy Riley announced that the Prosecutor’s Office alerted her that there were questions about Hossain’s residency.
At the time, she said the office found out the information during an investigation into Hossain. But she didn’t mention that the investigation was requested by her on behalf of Superintendent Barry Caldwell.
Six weeks later, members voted to start the process to remove Hossain, the board’s former vice president.
That was still pending.
Hossain is also the subject of a lawsuit claiming he and his wife owe the district for free lunches their children allegedly were not qualified to receive.
Meanwhile, a judge ruled that Hossain’s vote had to be recorded as long as he was a sitting member.
Now, it’s no longer the case.
The resignation came just days after the superintendent search committee made their decision, sources tell BreakingAC.
It was not clear if the board — now short by one member — would be voting on the new superintendent at its next scheduled meeting, which is Tuesday.
An agenda for that meeting had not been publicly posted on the website as of Monday afternoon.
The new board member must be a citizen, and been a resident of the district for at least a year.
They must also be able to read and write, be registered to vote in the district and “not be interested directly or indirectly in any contract with or claim against the board,” the announcement reads.
Interested applicants should email a letter of intent and resume Angela Brown, board secretary, at abrown@acboe.org. Deadline for application is noon Oct. 25.