NJ superintendent mum at hearing on public defecation charge

HOLMDEL, N.J. (AP) -- A school superintendent charged with public defecation in New Jersey didn't offer an explanation during a brief court hearing.

Thomas Tramaglini appeared in municipal court Tuesday. He's charged with public defecation, lewdness and littering.

Authorities say he was caught in April following an early-morning run at Holmdel High School's athletic facilities. Police said staff members were watching to see who'd been leaving human feces on the property.

MORE: Serial pooper at New Jersey high school football field turns out to be superintendent, police say

The 42-year-old Tramaglini is superintendent of the nearby Kenilworth school district. He's on paid leave from his $147,000-a-year job.

At Tuesday's hearing, attorneys argued over surveillance video that prosecutors allege shows Tramaglini caught in the act. The judge told them to return for a hearing at a later date.

Tramaglini and his attorneys didn't comment as they left the courthouse.