Fiore gets big support at Elizabeth Board of Education meeting; wife says “administrative vendetta” cost him his job

Saying school officials in Elizabeth had an “administrative agenda” against her husband, John Fiore’s wife and son were the first two people to speak at the district’s packed Board of Education meeting Thursday night, lambasting the panel for his firing two weeks ago for “possible” NJSIAA recruiting and transfer violations.

“I wish to make this very clear tonight,” Karen Fiore said to the Board, “My son did not illegally transfer into the Elizabeth school district. My husband did not engage in any improper conduct.”

Central Jersey Sports Radio followed the proceedings on the district’s web stream Thursday evening. Scroll to the bottom of this story for complete audio of comments from John Fiore, his wife, and son.

Coach Fiore has said the issue was the transfer of Fiore’s son – John, Jr. – who had previously been at Cranford, where the Fiore’s live. The coach says he and his son have been spending several nights a week at an apartment in Elizabeth to satisfy residency requirements.

However, NJSIAA rules no longer include residency requirements for transfers. Student-athletes are allowed one free transfer while in high school without having to sit out 30 days, and they are no longer required to have a bonafide change of address to do so. Future transfers – as well as the first transfer for a soon-to-be-senior – must sit out 20 days, or three games, regardless of residency.

The NJSIAA called the mater a “district issue,” according to a report by Mike Kinney of NJ.com, essentially saying there was no violation of the state association’s rules in this case.

“My teammates have become like family to me,” John Fiore, Jr., said, “and I don’t understand why people are trying to take that family away from me. I’ve been playing with some of them since the spring of eighth grade.”

Fiore, Jr., said he has stayed with his dad during the week, and with his mom and twin sister on the weekends. “This whole situation has been messing with my mental health, considering people are trying to take away the sport I love,” he added.

“I catch myself just staring off into space, putting my head down, and thinking, ‘What did I do to deserve this,'” Fiore, Jr., added.

After the two Fiores spoke, a few residents brought up other issues, and then some of the coach’s former players took to the podium to speak, doing so eloquently, and to large rounds of applause that even were noted by council members.

Then, Fiore himself came up to speak.

“I still haven’t gotten it in writing why I’m being dismissed as football coach,” Fiore said, though he said he’d been told verbally.

He also accused the board of not doing a thorough investigation, saying “You took pictures of my kid and I coming in and out [of our Elizabeth apartment” three, four, five days in a row. You stopped coming because it doesn’t help your case.”

Fiore believes the district also was wrong in assuming he and his wife are happily married, and that he really lived in Cranford, because photos seen on Facebook. Fiore says he and his wife are separated, but still went on vacation together. “I know a lot of couples who are separated that do that,” he told the Board.

Fiore also touted some of his off-the-field accomplishments with the football program, noting when he took the job after the 2021 season, more than 70 players had to be in summer school to stay eligible. Fiore says last summer, that number was down to five, with only two having to take summer school this past summer.

He also says the team GPA of the 2024 senior class was 1.25 points higher than it was before he took the job.

More than a half dozen players spoke, including Jalais Mendoza, a senior who transferred in two years ago from Snyder in Jersey City. He said he came in as a third-string runningback, but Fiore treated him like he had been there since Day One, putting him in the game in big spots.

“I feel like Fiore put everyone on the team first,” Mendoza said. “Can you all please bring Coach Fiore back so we can go back to winning and get a ring for Fiore… and our team.”

“To me, Coach Fiore is the definition of three things: a leader, responsibility, and a father figure,” said junior two-way lineman Brian Palamar.

Senior wide receiver/defensive back Kyshawn DeCarteret said, “A strong male figure like Coach Fiore is priceless, and we hope that you guys will hear us and value how we feel about his firing.”

But Karen Fiore had the most foreboding comment of the night, right before the three-minute timer hit zero, signalling the end of her allotted time to speak: “We will not hesitate to hold this board or the administration accountable for their participation in this charade. This will not end here tonight, unless you do the right thing.”

The board went into executive session after approving several items of business just before 8 pm. They returned around 9:45, and added an agenda item to appoint an interim football coach.

But it was not Austin Holman, who coached the team last week in a 37-20 loss at Westfield, its first of the season. Assistant Head Coach Eugene Klein was approved as Interim Head Coach, effective Friday, September 20th, at a stipend of $11,243.