Trenton Central High School’s freshman football team had a game on Sept. 14, and fans arriving for the game apparently had the opportunity to purchase “Trenton football” t-shirts.
According to a report in The Trentonian, the person selling those t-shirts—chief schools officer Nelson Ribon, formerly the district’s interim superintendent—should’ve been working at the time. Also, they were bootleg Trenton football t-shirts.
But Nelson Ribon, who was chief schools officer and recent acting superintendent for Trenton Public Schools, was caught allegedly selling knockoff Tornadoes football T-shirts ahead of a freshman game on Sept. 14 when he should have been working, sources with intimate knowledge of the situation told The Trentonian. Ribon allegedly enlisted another district employee to assist him with the sales during the workday, according to sources, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
Trenton Tornadoes! Good nickname. Also some good tabloid writing: “sources with intimate knowledge of the situation.” The paper also reports, in less colorful language, that Ribon tried to make things right.
Sources claim Ribon admitted selling the Tornadoes shirts for his own personal gain for about $10 to $15 apiece.
After his new side gig was uncovered, Ribon then allegedly offered to give the proceeds to the booster club, but that came too late.
I know another place in New Jersey where they don’t hassle you for selling bootleg t-shirts at all. Unfortunately, it’s the offseason.