like to call this Barnagate Board of Education meeting to order please The notice of this meeting had notice of this meeting has been forwarded to the Asbury Park Press and the Beacon and placed in the foyer of each Barnagut Township School in the Barnagut Township Municipal Building and has been filed with the Barnett Township Municipal Clerk in conjunction with the Open
Public Meeting Act NJSA 104-10 Thank you Roll call please Miss Churnney Oh she's not here Miss Continanza here Mr Fedorzik here Miss Jeanie here Mr
Hearn here Miss Msa here Miss Terowski here Miss Washburn not present and Mr Sarno here We have a quorum Thank you Please join us in the flag please To the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all Thank you Can I get a motion to approve the
agenda as it stands so moved Second Roll call Miss Continanza Yes Mr Fedorzic Yes Miss Jeanie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss MSA yes Miss Terowski yes And Mr Sarno yes
Motion carried Thank you All right Right On your agenda item next is a superintendent's remarks I will turn the floor over to Dr Lwis for any statement he has Thank you very much Um first I'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight This is obviously a difficult
time for our Barnagate School community Due to legal restrictions surrounding the personnel matters I am limited in what I can share However with that being said when the just to give you a little context of um the situation uh that brings us here tonight when the district
administration became aware of the alleged incident interviews were immediately conducted and all staff were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of our investigation the Barnea Township Police Department and the state's Division of Child Protection uh their office of institutional abuse
were immediately notified and we partnered with both agencies First I'd like to take a second to thank the individual who was not part of that classroom that came forward and brought these allegations to light [Music]
that takes bravery courage and was clearly doing the right thing Second I would like to express our gratitude to the Barnick Township Police Department and the state's uh division of uh child and protection permanency for their uh response which was prompt um and for
their partnership throughout this As previously stated the school district immediately conducted its own independent and thorough investigation which was completed within 24 hours This leads us to this evening where we will recommend that the board of education take further action in alignment with
our expectations and established standards I would like to reiterate that what we've previous what we've previously communicated that the Barnea Township School District does not in any way shape or form condone the behavior that was subject to this investigation
We take each child's health safety and well-being very seriously and we treat any incident that may put them at risk seriously We have taken and will continue to take every action to hold staff members accountable for behaviors that do not meet these expectations Thank you
All right Thank you Dr Lawless Um again just a prepared statement on for myself um on behalf of the board of education Again I want to thank everyone coming out tonight um under these um absolutely terrible conditions But again um as the president of the Barnagate Board of
Education I want to express our deepest concern regarding the recent incident that occurred at the Robert Brackman School involving a student that had come to light The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities and we take these allegations very seriously First and foremost I want to
begin by extending our heartfelt concern for the student and her family Upon receiving the call from Dr rel on 331 at which time he reported that a potential incident involving a student had occurred The board of
education's leadership focus was on and for was first and foremost on our students safety through the investigation Second it was if we're ensuring that the administration identifies all those who may have had involvement acknowledge or information
about the incident Our administration had completed its investigation and presented its findings to the board leadership by midday of 41 Board leadership was adamant that all those who were involved or had knowledge of the incident be recommended for termination by the superintendent
immediately Um on 41 as board president I instructed our business administrator to schedule a special board meeting as soon as possible after consulting with our attorney 49 was the earliest date we could hold a special meeting under New Jersey state law I want the residents of
Barnett to understand this is the first opportunity the board of education can meet to discuss this incident The actions we'll be taking tonight on the agenda is what I anticipate as the first steps in addressing this matter I do anticipate further ramifications after
the board after the board's discussion and executive session tonight I can assure you that every one of the nine board members here are angry disappointed and upset at the thought of any harm happening to any of our students And as I'm sure each of you
are As your board of education we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for every student We want to assure our comm community that we are reinforcing our commitment to safeguarding our students and preventing any form of harm and we intend on holding any and all individuals
accountable who will violate that trust that we give them We understand the gravity of the situation and we are dedicated to transparency with our community We will keep the Barnett comm community informed as we the board discuss this matter and make determinations on our next steps And I
just wanted to add an update that was brought to us today Um I believe that Barnac PD put out a statement last week regarding that the incident and their investigation I want the public to know that the incident is still being actively investigated criminally by
another local law enforcement agency um as we speak Thank you again All right with that next on our agenda is public session Um go ahead Kate The Barna Township Board of Education appreciates and
welcomes public comment advice and suggestions especially when is intended to assist the board of education Please feel free to speak to the board during public session Comments and discussion will be limited to one five-minute period per individual unless requested by the chairperson to continue on a point of clarification Public comment at
special meetings of the board shall be related to the call of the meeting In accordance to the board of education policy each participant must be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface their comments by an announcement of their name address and group affiliation if appropriate Your
anticipated courtesy to the members of the public and the board is appreciated Can I get a motion to open public session please second Second Roll call Y M Contin Yes Mr Fedorzic Yes Miss Jeie
Yes Mr Hearn Yes Miss MSA Yes Mr Mannowski Yes Miss W Mr Sarno Yes Motion carried Thank you Um before we begin the public session just please a couple of um you know u clarifications on this
Each individual again I know there's a lot of people here tonight Um a lot of people again are angry upset Um I just ask again that you be respectful Um we'll give you your five minutes Um and please as anyone else is speaking allow
them to speak And as anyone is answering please allow them to speak Um back and forth We will give you the five minutes to use and ask any questions make any comments you want And then once the five minutes is completed we will answer share what we can um comment back what
we can Um and just again when you get up to the mic I will notice uh whoever is uh next to speak when you get up to mic just please name and address before you begin speaking With that being said is there anybody that would like to comment in public session i see right here in
the first corner and I will I will assure you I will get everybody that puts their hands up So Deborah Henry B18 Hawthorne Lane Thank you for this opportunity tonight to speak as my grandson's educational
opportunities are my top priority as his grandmother and his advocate I would like to start out with a quote While inclusion surely requires readjustment and considerable effort on the part of the educators and on the part of the community in general it is a small price
to pay to increase the opportunity of individuals with dis disabilities to become fully functioning productive and co-equal members of society and of individuals without disabilities to learn in a world where individuals with disabilities are so included It is not
only important for neurodeivergent students It is also important for neurotypical peers It fosters a sense of community acceptance and tolerance providing opportunities for social relationships between individuals with and without
disabilities Teaching all youth to understand accept and value human differences Special education is not a place Schools must consider providing any needed services in the general education building and other integrated settings
Student must have meaningful access to same age peers without disabilities when appropriate I don't know if it is illegal the way the ASUS program is set up segregating those kids in a different building but it is certainly not best practice and is not the best for our
children In the light of recent events which I believe the seclusion of these children contributed to this program should be dismantled where it is housed now and moved to elementary school buildings When researching this program which was suggested from my grandson I
did not hear one positive review Every parent had concerns about the seclusion the children not being housed with their appropriate age level peers and being behind a locked door Someone told me that these children are referred to as the kids behind the door
This is not acceptable for my grandson or any disabled child that goes to the Barnagut School District You must do better Inclusion not [Applause] seclusion Right Thank you Uh next hand I
see back here Yep With the glasses Yep Do you sir good evening I'm Joel Gold My address is 25 Wright Road in Barnagot I'm very very disappointed in every staff member in
the board uh of the board of education our superintendent our principles vice pres principles security and teachers Something like this should have never happened if everybody did their
job going forward I ask what are you going to do to ensure that something like this never never never happens in this town again I feel that this is a disgrace It's hurt us
all Not only those that are having physical andor mental difficulties but all of our students because that's all they're talking about We're wasting time and this should have been brought
to our attention and brought to your attention a long long long time ago Again this better never ever happen again You won't like the consequences I promise Thank you My name is Kristen Lteran I reside at 7
Dylan Boulevard Barnagate Good evening everyone My name is Kristen Lteran I am an alumni of Barnagate High School I am also a behavioral technician who provides applied behavioral analysis services to children and teens with autism I am also
a student studying social work at Stockton University I'm in my final years I am deeply connected to this community and passionate about the well-being of our students especially those in special education within Barnagate Township
Schools Through my work and my words today I'm here to give a voice to children who may not have one of their own I stand before you to advocate for our special education students who deserve every opportunity to thrive To
make this a reality we must prioritize appropriate training and oversight for staff working directly with these children They need the tools and the knowledge to support unique learning and behavioral needs effectively This includes specialized training that goes
beyond the basics ensuring every staff member is equipped to foster growth and dignity of students The current training that staff and support staff has received thus far has proved inadequate Had training been ongoing and meeting established standards elsewhere
this recent incident in question may not have occurred I also urge the implementation of sensitivity training for all staff and administration Understanding and empathy are key to creating an environment where students feel safe and valued
This training will help build a culture of respect and inclusion across our schools Accountability is equally critical Leadership and supervision must be held to high standards ensuring equity for both students and
staff We need systems in place that promote fairness and address challenges proactively so no one falls through the cracks Transportation TA staff too play a vital role Ongoing training and oversight for them will ensure that every student's journey to and from
school is safe and supportive setting the tone for their day Finally I call for ethical leadership committed to safety support and inclusion Our students deserve leaders who prioritize their needs who model integrity and who champion a school district where
everyone belongs These aren't just suggestions they're necessities Our students safety dignity and futures hang in the balance and we cannot afford to fail them again The incidents we the incident we have seen is a wake-up call
a stark reminder that inadequate training and oversight have real life consequences I implore you board to act decisively Invest in our staff our leadership and our kids This district must become a place where every special
education student is fully supported deeply respected and empowered to reach their full potential Thank you And in the back put your hand up there Yep My name is Matthew Salvatore I live at 46 Savannah Drive in
Barnagot Pardon me I wrote some things down First I want to thank the school board for having this meeting Thank you for being allowing us this chance to to speak on this issue I wrote a lot of stuff down Some of it's already been covered by the previous speakers who had some powerful statements Um I have three
children in this school district My youngest of whom is is a 10-year-old non non-verbal autistic son in the ASUS program And when you hear about what's been going on it breaks your heart It makes you wonder if it happens to your own child and we're not told about it And that that that's hard to hear We we
we know all of you in the board are in charge with protecting our children making our school district safe making it a great place to learn for everybody what whether they're ACES students or just regular students We have a great community here We're supposed to be one barnigan We're all supposed to be
sticking up for each other When you hear something like this happen it's it's it's hard to hear Um there's so many different things that we can do to make things better for the ASUS program Uh a lot of these things have been touched already by some of this the people that have already spoke Whether that's
accountability I mean that's that's an obvious one Um whether that's training you know people should always be training It should never stop There's ch standards always change Um new methods are developed to help everybody whether that's AC as students or regular
students That always has to be followed up on We also need more communication and transparency transparency with the parents uh any of our parents that are in the ASUS program we want to be have direct contact with our teachers and the staff and the aids whether that's the
bus drivers that's the the paras or the teachers We need to know what's going on We need like for neurodyiver diverse students it is really really hard to to get them to where we need them to be It takes a whole lot of effort from many people and the best way for the best
results is constant communication constant transparency Um we need more inclusive activities The first woman who spoke spoke about how all the ASUS students are push pushed off into a corner of the Bman building with teenagers I don't know that that's best
practice Maybe it is I don't know I'd love to see where that's written but that just doesn't sound right I don't see why a first grader in the ASUS program should be hanging around seventh and eighth graders They should probably be around other first graders Just my two cents Um and you know we really need
to think about why are we doing that why can't we put these reintegrate these students back with their grade levels that should be appropriate I don't understand why that was done And I it would be great to have an explanation why we put the ASUS children in the hallway like that locked away from
everybody unseen Um and another thing that could help why aren't there cameras in these classrooms many of these students are non-verbal They can't talk We have cameras right there It's not like we don't have cameras in the schools you know I don't see why we
can't have cameras in these classrooms where the children who need these cameras to for monitoring to make sure that they're safe It even helps the staff like having a a autistic son they have meltdowns They can get aggressive
If the staff has to deal with that it would be helpful for them to have cameras to keep track of what going on so we know that they're not acting out maliciously then we know they're doing their best There are some amazing people in the ASUS program There are some amazing peoples in our school district Unfortunately somehow this thing
incident happened Um and I for me that you know obviously the people involved are bad people to do something like this Maybe it was just a mistake Maybe they had a bad day but it starts at the top This is like it comes from the top down These people at the bottom that did this well they're probably not being trained
properly They're probably not being organized properly by whoever is running the ASUS program I think that's Mr Gunderson for example whoever the teachers administrators they need to be held accountable for this because it's unacceptable The poor child like I don't know if any of you saw the video from
the mother of what happened It's heartbreaking that she had to go what she had to go through It's it's shameful I hope we can we got to do better as a community We can all do better Let's take this opportunity to take a negative occurrence and turn it into something positive Let's make Barnett the best
school in the state the best school in the country for ACES students Autism is not going away One in 32 kids they say are in New Jersey have autism or on the neuro neurodeiverse This isn't going away anytime soon you know So let's do better Let's help our children Let's
help all our community Let's make us the best community ever That's all I have to say Thank you very much for your time You know I don't know if you want to address anything that he had mentioned Dr Latas but I know the um the camera issue has come up and I'd seen it Um the
issue with the cameras again and you can expand on this a little bit more if you want is a negotiated item in the teachers union contract In a teachers union contract as a district we are not allowed to place cameras within the
classrooms It is negotiated into their contract The only way we can do it is by them allowing us to do it As weird as that sounds it's been in place for years years and years And the only way we as a board and as an administration can put
cameras in those classrooms is if they open up their contract and allow us to take that that out So we can put cameras in the class I know we have Can can I I I ask you please I ask you
please to be respectful Okay If you want to speak I will give you every opportunity Okay Thank you Um we have contacted the union to ask if we can move forward with this and we do have a meeting scheduled I believe Monday
morning with union representation um to discuss the matter of doing that So again the reason it has never happened up to this point is because with the contractually we were not allowed to put cameras in the classroom through their contract Anything else that you'd like
to add uh sure So I can address a few things that were coming up um uh throughout So obviously I I think across the board we share everybody's outrage with this incident Um we have been going back
obviously since this transpired reviewing all the things that have been coming up so far uh tonight and uh looking for different you know what's obviously worked or hasn't worked up to this point You know professional development in this district is something that we have taken very seriously We have done a lot of uh
trainings um you know we have instructional coaches we have uh behaviorists we have a number of different uh individuals in the district that work handinhand with the staff to to do trainings for the par profofessionals for the teachers but obviously that's something that we need to look at and we need to continue to
improve upon Um the ACES program I know started a couple years ago I know that work that was something that was partnered with parents to get feedback on on looking at uh having a school within a school and trying to uh maximize resources and whatnot for those
uh students um and having all those res resources located in one area and then partnering that with the idea of having those uh classrooms uh linked to buddy classrooms in their with their typically developing peers
Um obviously that's something that we need to revisit right that's something that we need to be open to and continue to look at Um as a district over the last seven years whether it be that or anything else we have taken um feedback from parents We have looked at trying to constantly change or
alter things to be the best possible um experience for our students And sometimes that's worked out great And then sometimes that's something that we need to go back and look at and change and alter And that's something that we have been open to in the past and that's something that we'll continue to be open to going forward Um you have to have an
egoless approach when you're doing this and if something's not working you have to admit that it's not working Um so we did try to have the best of both worlds I think with this program and maximizing resources but also providing those inclusion opportunities and obviously that is clearly something that we're going to have to revisit Um the doors
that were put on that wing I do remember that was parent feedback when we went in uh and initiated that and that was parent feedback from the standpoint that they didn't want an eighth grader having the opportunity to just walk down that hallway Um so I do know that was something that came from the parents um you know but again that's something that
clearly we have to look at and if those programs move back to their home schools which is you know absolutely a possibility um that's something that obviously wouldn't need to be something that would be necessitated at that time the ideas of cameras in the classroom um
you know I'm not going to reiterate what Mr Sarno said but what I will say is that uh in con uh on top of that we did reach out to the BEA to have that conversation and they were very open and receptive to having that and we do have that meeting on the books I believe Monday morning as Mr President Sarno um
stated So we are looking at everything We are trying to continue to reflect and and look at um this incident and try to make it a learning experience um you know try to turn this absolutely egregious situation into something that can continue to help us grow as a
district and and continue to get better and improve and that is what we're we're going to do Um as far as uh feedback for the future of that program that is something that uh we were uh looking to have parent information uh sessions
summer into fall That's obviously something that we're going to be doing a lot sooner now We're going to be moving up that timeline So you know we are looking uh to continue to partner with parents we are looking for this feedback and you know as a leadership team and that obviously starts with me If we have an idea we had an idea and it it's not
working out the way that you know everybody I think thought it did at in the beginning when it was uh set into motion then obviously we have to pivot and we have to adjust and make those changes And that's something that I think we're we're very open to doing The gentleman right here was Yeah you
were next I'm Steven Donnu 98 Ravenwood Boulevard Barnagate Um me and my my family moved here I would say a year and a half ago We moved here because we heard that uh
Barnagate had a good program for children with autism And last week uh we were caught off guard by hearing this and
um and I don't think we could ever trust giving our kid to you guys and that and it sucks I mean as a whole it's not individuals It's as a whole We I I just can't trust
putting my kid in your possession I I I can't do it And uh you know our our first meeting with uh the school for preschool we had an IEP and it was like a big slap in the face And it just goes to show you
that that it's you know my son's not going to be treated equal And when he's not going to be hurt he I'm sorry um having something to be sorry about uh you know it's hard enough as parent
of a child with autism and uh you know now now I'm hearing I'm hearing even worse things about the ASUS program that there's they're excluded they're put behind closed door that's horrible I I mean my son's not included he you you know he
doesn't have friends And the biggest fear of my life is him being excluded from everybody And now I don't even want to put him in the school I I'm sorry And
that's that's all I have to say I can say I'm sorry to tell you honestly I'm sorry right here in front of him Hi I'm Alicia Jenowski I'm at 130 Spruce Circle North in Barnagate Would you just
would you mind just speak up a little bit there we go Better So um good evening I'm a parent of an autistic child in the ACES program and I want to start this off by saying I am extremely grateful for the teachers and staff who work directly with my child We they're
great and they've showed incredible dedication and care and I have nothing but respect for them But I'm here tonight because of the recent incident with the mistreatment of another child in another classroom that has rightfully shaken our community And what's more troubling is that this isn't an isolated
case Um it points to deeper long-standing issues that many of us parents have been quietly concerned about for a long time The lack of resources inclusion transparency and respect for our neurode divergent kids needs Um and actually after that
classroom was shut down those students that were in it were moved to other ASUS classrooms including my child's without any direct notice to me or any of the other families Um I wasn't told that my son's class was changing The only reason I found out is because he has a friend
in his class and his brother was in that affected room We're getting information from each other from social media not from the district And I think that's a big problem Like the email that we all received it didn't explain what happened And I completely understand that there's
legal limits Um but it also didn't say what changes were being made what steps were being taken to prevent something like this from happening And when it comes to our children's safety we deserve transparency Um more parents are coming forward online sharing stories that span
years in schools and silence harm and retaliation um CPS involved children being restrained in ways that are inappropriate and parents have begged for accommodations and nothing has really changed Um there's systemic
issues that go beyond this Like we keep talking about how our kids are put in a separate wing instead of being integrated with their neurotypical peers in the elementary school on a regular basis Yes they have a buddy program It's one day a week Um and
honestly when it comes down to it it feels like it's segregation and it's not right Um like a big issue is um our neurode divergent kids they thrive well with physical activity and now these kids are
not allowed to be on the elementary playground anymore Um which is a big problem and the unofficial reason is scheduling conflicts Um but the outdoor area they do have is small and has a concrete floor Um this is dangerous for
kids with balance challenges impulsivity and sensory needs Like my son he's come home scraped up or had to go to the nurse and this is an issue Um speaking on sensory um they do have a sensory room which apparently used to be a full classroom
And when I went to back to school night and saw it it honestly looks like a glorified utility closet with some foam equipment in it And I don't think that this is right Um the equipment that they also have in PE is limited It's donated
and not donated monetarily donated from other programs secondhand And our students deserve better than leftovers They deserve the tools intentionally chosen for their growth and development What message are we sending when we isolate our kids cut them off from
inclusive spaces underfund their support and keep families in the dark um these are some of the most vulnerable kids in the district They need more support So I'm asking the district to ensure classrooms are staffed with qualified teachers who have specialized training in supporting
neurodeiverse students and children who have disabilities in investing in a soft outdoor play area for ASUS students and restoring access to shared playgrounds and inclusive spaces to provide a properly equipped therapeutic grade sensory room to keep our class sizes
sizes manageable even with shifts and most importantly to communicate openly and honestly with families when changes affect our kids safety and education These are essential Our kids deserve to feel safe included and supported like every other kid in this district And
there should just never be another incident like this again Thank you [Applause] Thank you And if I could just comment on that
Um again as a board of education as a board president um to hear stuff like this just honestly rips in my rips my heart Um I I I thank you for coming out and speaking and
telling us your story and what and and your child's story You got to understand the board of education relies on administration and the community to keep us informed We do not go into schools We do not interview staff We do not get to
monitor classrooms We do not to get to pop in showings and walk in classrooms We do not get to sit in interviews and hire people We do not have to get to uh do promotions of people We don't get to see people's writeups We don't get to see their files We don't get to do any
of that We get to we we we rely again this is not my decision This is the state's the way the state sets the system up We are here to make sure that the administration the qualified licensed people are running our schools effectively and efficiently is the
state's mandate to us as a board I just again I ask you please um I am telling you how it works We again do not get to be in the classrooms every day and see things happening We rely on the administration to give us
information and we rely on the public to give us information on what is happening in the schools and that's how we have to come to a determination on things We don't get to sit there and just I can't pick on you again ma'am You spoke once already Um
yes that is a rule Okay that that is a rule I'm not going to argue with you again ma'am Please be respectful Please be respectful I'll ask you one more time to be respectful our members need to show up Okay Thank you You're welcome [Music]
Um so like I said we we I understand what you're saying I wish more people would come out to meetings I wish more people would contact board members I wish more people would reach out to us whether anonymously or face to face and tell us their stories tell us what's going on telling us what's happening
Because again otherwise I hear it tonight and yes we do hear it tonight Otherwise we do not have that information We are not allowed to ma'am but I just said that Okay Okay Ma'am I again I'm not going to get into one one debate with you Um
so with that being said the truth ma'am in the back I see with your hand up please [Applause] Hi my name is Carolyn Jones I live at 32 Burr Street in Barnagan I would just
You're saying they're all trained and this and that I just want to know um at what point do we ensure children who can't dress themselves have an accident and when you ask where like I don't know their underwear is that's not a problem that there's missing underwear You don't hear it for like three weeks That's okay
Or what about when she almost choked on a bunch of stuff in her water bottle that's okay So I get it You guys don't have much to do with anything But maybe we really should start because kids are going to get more hurt and die And I hope to God that doesn't happen because
that lays on you Have a great day her then you'll be next You right here in the second row there My name is Audra Mastello 24th Savannah Drive Baragate I recently went to visit a college with
my daughter and I found out about the news about this little girl and her mother speaking and it broke my heart I just wanted to say I am a former par profofessional in the Barnett School District and the reason why I left
something was pushed under the table and I reported [Music] it To this day I will never forget what happened Never in my life And I'm going to mention names
now I worked in the MD room in Brackman Middle School under the care of a teacher named Allison Binger I was one of the PAR professionals in that class and I was one-on-one with a specific child who had triple X So I am aware I
was in the special ed program and I feel for these families What I witnessed with this teacher that they did not fire and left here for an additional year blows my mind This child particularly was a headbanger
He bit So I was told we learned how to use special um things to put on your hands to protect yourselves This particular teacher Mrs Binger she specifically said "Don't worry I can handle it." She had black and blues all over her arms cuz she wanted to prove
that she can handle it even though we all of us paras were there to assist one another So this was during the co times This happened three years ago She asked me "Mrs Myello please hand me the hand sanitizer." And in my heart I knew something was not going down the right
way I And I gave her the hand sanitizer And I knew she she wasn't going to use it to wipe her hands She decided to use hand sanitizer all over her arms cuz this kid was a biter And the first thing he was going to do he was going to bite
her So obviously the first thing she said to him was "I bet you don't like the way that tastes." And this did not sit well with me And I reported it the following day at worked to Mr Burke the assistant principal of Brackman Middle School Now he works at the high school
And this was never reported The principal at that time was Shannon Smith This was not reported It was never addressed to me the next day how I felt about it It was never discussed They took all the powers in the in the
principal's office to write up documents Nothing was ever reported back to us I do I will I will live with this forever I don't understand why the district never came back to me to discuss this matter And to this day it kills me because this child's parents did not
ever know what went down And as a par I can't speak about it And I'm dealing with the teacher that was obviously not um sane The district should have spoke to the parents what went down They they brushed it under the table So these parents never knew that is unacceptable
and things need to be changed and I feel bad for all these [Applause] families Npalitano
Some of you may know me Mr Dotis I've came to you guys It started back in the ASUS program We had wonderful year Both my girls and Cecil both my boys graduated Wonderful Having a special needs daughter It's not verbal She has no
behaviors She's a wonderful happy daughter I've came numerous times I pulled her out of the ASUS program Couldn't wait to get to Mr Peters couldn't wait to get to this high school for a change knowing that ASUS program was
evil Nothing about it was correct for those children Not that playground not that sensory room nothing And I made it well aware and pulled my daughter How many times did I call this year look I could bring it up I could
show you I've spoke with Mr Gunderson Britney Strick They should be ashamed of themselves Those are the ones that need to go too They need to go You think they didn't know about this do you know how much more I know
i'm the one that spoke with the police I'm the one that spoke with the the my para that got moved over here That's one of the paras that got laid off How many times did I tell you and then asked for her not to be into Mrs Kelly's class because of what I
was told from that same parah But my daughter still has to go in there every Tuesday and Thursday And I was asked "Who do you trust to be with her?" And Melissa was picked Okay And if she's not there what
happens because she was only part-time They changed her returning from Christmas break without an IEP being told not to tell me but I know somebody else and I was told and I showed up here unannounced and caught
it I called for an emergency meeting I got first I got a call the night before She was they had the flu Okay that's fine It happens Next week I get here her daughter has the flu Okay
nobody called me I leave Still to this day I've been calling and calling and calling for that emergency meeting And you know what it's not till the end of next month This happened three months
ago There needs to be a change and you need to get rid of these higher-ups because it starts there Thank you for letting me speak I hope that there is a change in this school because our kids deserve it I really do Thank you
I can't get through So I'm Ashley I live in bargain right here My child is autistic You failed You failed The little girl she has to go through She has to go through It's not
fair You failed her mother You failed the system You failed It is not fair They don't speak for themselves We have to be their voice We have to be their strength We have to be everything We depend on you to keep
children safe in our schools I didn't grow up here I grew up in upstate New York I depend on word of mouth of how the community is how the school system is Do you understand you're sitting there with these faces Do
you understand what that mother has to go through do you understand what that child has to go through she will never be the same Having to be a mother sitting in an emergency room while her daughter has no idea what is going on while she gets a hit done to
herself is not fair As you see he doesn't understand what's going on right now He wants to just run He wants to be free as he should be in school He should be able to have an education without failure of harm He should be able to
feel the that he gives at home in his classroom because of the outside community that not our class It is not fair and I understand there's a lot of things that happen But as a person who didn't grow
up here who has no outlet of anything else of understanding only what happens in our community you failed me You failed myself And it's not right It's not right I'm supposed to wake up in the excited
for him to go to school I'm supposed to be excited that my son is going to be able to talk to communicate with me to understand his surroundings If somebody hurts him at school he I won't know Every day he gets off the school bus and
say "Hey bud how was your day today how was school?" He only repeats school because he's delayed And now if he got hurt at school I won't know I have to hope there's somebody that's going to come forward to tell me and not hide behind the fact that they're worried
about their job They're worried about how other people feel I am his mother I am the tiger in the lion Nobody deserves that She did not deserve that She did not deserve to feel unsafe Her mother will have extensive
issues for trust in all of you You failed and it's not right It's not right We always have to come together and understand Yes there's certain children that don't speak They can't feed themselves They can't do Do you
understand how hard how hard that is being at home having to fight those battles to then take your child to school and then hope that somebody else is willing that took that job that's willing to take that time and also teach
them Instead they're taping their mouths They're taping their wrists They're taping their ankles She will never be the same girl she was destined to be because of somebody's dumbass decision And it's so
wrong I didn't wake up one day get pregnant and hope that my child would be normal That is the best child That is the best child That is the best child It doesn't matter if he can't speak It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand social cues We are supposed to make
their better And if you guys can't figure it out and you can't come to an understanding that everybody here wants better we're here because of an incident because that girl you failed and it's not
right She deserved better She deserves protection How am I supposed to be safe that I know that these are supposed to be the future i can't sit there and say to you I'm confident in our school system I'm confident in the upper are
supposed to take care of us because we failed I shouldn't be standing up here crying I should be We should be having this meeting talking about all the good stuff that's happened in the community Instead we're here for taped face taped wrist taped ankles of a child who
couldn't speak to cry out for help Would you want to be that i've worked in a store in a location where people were taped because the store was robbed Every second of you gets taken in that moment That little girl had no chance to speak
for herself She had nothing to come up from She had nothing Do you understand if everything is taken from you in that moment what happens to you you are not the same person And I just hope that you guys decide to do better because this is the
future This is the future that we depend on to make change in today's shitty ass world because people are being taped and not being told what's happening All I'm asking you is today whatever you decide when you go home make a better decision
for our children Because each and one of you sitting up there know somebody who has an autistic child You have friends that have an autistic child We have to fight day in and day out for them to have the same rights as normal children Just do better
Anybody else i see over here My name's Gary Whiting 67 Hyana Street Tom Trevor New Jersey I'm also the proud father of a 31 year old man Christopher behind me who's who has autism I'm also a certified law
enforcement instructor with the police training commission in New Jersey a CIT crisis intervention training instructor I do every CIT class in Ocean County and I'm the executive director of POAC Autism Services one of the largest
agencies in the state Anything that Don't clap don't clap Anything that we could do it's not a solution to anything It's small We would do no fee no charge From parent training to school bus training to
school assemblies anything I've dedicated my life to keeping children adults with autism safe So Chris is 31 26 years ago different district Howell New Jersey
I was escorted up to his classroom He was non-verbal non-speaking at 5 years old And I stopped in the doorway and I witnessed them strapping Chris to a rift in chair for children with cereal pausy which my son does not have Strapped them
in Chris was screaming crying the whole time Bucked the chair fell down cracked his head on the thing and the aid went over to pick him up And the teacher said "I'll just leave him there." He does it over and over
again We had a meeting like this 26 years ago in Howell and I never thought I would be at another one 26 years later and it's still happening So many people said it better
than I could We have to get the administration not just to correct the problem and get rid of the bad but ongoing support ongoing training not a band-aid We have to build a new emergency department you know to go on
not just for my son but all the children here Thank you God bless [Music] or no yes Just I was just curious what agency sir if you wouldn't mind back up Sir just a quick question I was listening to
you and I didn't get a chance to take notes What agency did you say you uh OAC thank you Gary thank you for coming Gary thank you for coming Anybody else like to back here i have the uh right behind Yeah her
first then you'll be next sir Hi my name is Nicole Hub I live at 107 Winward Drive This is not the first event of abuse Two of my four children have been the subject of abuse at this district I refuse to acce this
program for my oldest when it was still new And I was being told "It's no big deal He'll be in school till he's 21 What's the difference?" I fought myself to get him out of district and I won that
fight and he is in a fantastic school But then you guys went and made changes to the transportation His IEP says he is not to be on a bus You bought a van and you converted it into a bus He has not
provided physical assistance to get down off those steps He is a fall risk I have had doctors write notes only for your district doctor to throw them away saying that he has provided assistance via a video that he
observed not in person So that staff knew that they were being recorded So they did their job that day I have video proving otherwise Every day my son is dropped off I have a camera that faces my
driveway and I record it every day He was also recently assisted with buckling his seatelt because he wasn't fast enough at doing it and it resulted in him getting a mark on his neck
because the seat belt locked My son is verbal and I thank God every day that he is because on that bus on the way home a staff on that van threatened a
nonverbal student that they were going to punch them in the face That was her words And I went to the mother's house and I told the mother what was said so that she could step up and
defend her son because he doesn't have a voice And it was all because he reached up and grabbed the aid And the solution to this put a new aid on the van put a new driver on the van because that
driver refers to my son as the slowpoke and refers to the other non-verbal student as the shredder because he chews on his clothes I have video evidence and I've submitted them to
Gunderson and Kylie Norris of the inappropriate conversations on that van because my verbal child does not feel safe And he recorded them speaking about alcoholic beverages while the students are on the van And I
still have it on my phone My almost 16-year-old he goes to school here and I hate it I hate that he was forced to come back to Barnagot Forced I had no choice I got
him out of district when he was at the Horbell School 3 days before his birthday he got held down by six staff members who drugg him off the bus by his shirt and I didn't have a case to go against because the camera on the bus
malfunctioned during the event in question and he was covered in bruises and I still have those pictures and I share them with everybody I have never spoken good about the Barnagus special education once my son
left that callin school once you guys made all these changes because it was not changes for the better It was changes to line your [Music] pockets I'm still fighting My son
deserves better and he deserves the right transportation so that he feels safe going to and from school He will never come back to Barnagate And I swear I cannot wait I cannot wait until my other son graduates And if I get the
money and it should never come down to wanting to leave the town you live in to get away from a school district but I do not want my younger children in here It is because the way these kids are treated and we can't trust anybody Do
better I reached out to President and I get ignored I get ignored Free appropriate education Make it appropriate [Applause]
My name is John Ulac I live at 262 South Main Street On March 5th my daughter was reported to have been struck by another parah by a parro to the teacher The internal investigation was that nothing
there was nothing criminal There was nothing that had happened that required any further action yet that parah is also no longer allowed to work in the school district So if nothing happened and there was nothing to go any further
on why would she no longer be here i don't see how you can really have both of those things Um my fiance was handling it She's sitting in the back crying hysterically as she has been for now the last week My daughter's very very high
functioning And her IEP which let me go back to one thing Her prek experience at Duny School was absolutely amazing They were some of the greatest people I've ever dealt with with anything to do with a school anywhere
Rachel Javins was absolutely incredible These people just did so much good for her We were going to move and leave and I restructured our life to stay here in Barnagate because of this school district One of the most specific things
in her IEP is to spend as much time as possible with her peers She speaks complete sentences She can identify words She can follow instruction Due to behavioral issues she is not quite in the kindergarten level yet She is not spending the appropriate
amount of time there And at this critical point she is soaking up everything and she's bringing home more behaviors from the other children in her class as opposed to the ones from the regular elementary school because she is not going there We don't get this time
back We don't get this absorbing time where she's learning all these things does not come back So now we have this pattern that seems to be repeating itself and it's apparent that now you guys can't do everything One people
can't do everything that as you said before the right people are hired to be in the right places It's obvious that everyone that stands between the classroom and you guys are the ones that have not done their jobs They sit there they can see the other
kids at the other playground and they just know that that's just not for them My daughter speaks she knows all these things She tells us these things and it's absolutely heartbreaking that she's not getting to experience what we signed
up for what was recommended for her And where else do we go when I we speak to the teachers are telling us that you know that we have heard that there were staffing issues that you know yeah they're going to be doing the buddy system and going it's minimal if it's
ever happening and now we're at a point where we're stuck I can't leave I can't go anywhere if I take her out of school and disrupt her she goes backwards if a child is reported of any type of abuse
whatsoever needs to be addressed far more aggressively than it's been They're say a parah had reported that she witnessed another parah hit my child Now I understand fully how it can be My daughter has tried to put her hand near
the stove while I'm cooking and I've smacked her hand away to stop her from hurting herself I don't see that type of situation happening in a classroom where it's so important that it required physical force like that to stop her And then when I speak to Mr Gunderson and
Miss Short they're like "Oh well you know a after the investigation nothing was found The nobody gets back to us The Barnagate police say there was nothing founded in the investigation Yet she's not there anymore and she has written in the report that she will no longer be
allowed to work in the Barnagate schools We have a lot of us have tried to go through the proper avenues to do this and it has not worked I we of all people understand how difficult these kids can be and how things are sometimes Where else do we go and what
else do we do this has been ongoing with us and now after speaking it's they they want to see damages like these children like with my daughter like oh was she injured was she was she traumatized by it you
ask her what she has for lunch she'll tell you it's chicken every day She doesn't you can't go by everything they say And these other kids that can't speak for themselves This is an ongoing pattern And as we've seen spoken about tonight it seems the entire administration
between yourselves and those teachers is where the failure has occurred And it really seems like some of these things are being pushed underneath the rug and just hope they go away All I say is that looking forward moving forward these changes need to make be made They need to happen fast I
didn't want to come in here guns blazing and freaking cuz in my experience in the past that doesn't get things done But this needs to be done It needs to be done now And there's multiple offices people administrations all involved The officer at the school did not get back
to my fiance for over a week She had go down to the police station herself and they said "Oh yeah You can just go grab the police report All right Case is closed." No one from the school called her If you have an allegation of abuse like that for a child being struck
in a classroom would that not be the top piece of paper on your desk and then it got to the point where she can't she has difficulty handling these things She gets really emotional She hasn't slept in days and she's sitting in the back crying sitting here listening to this all night
tonight It just needs to happen It needs to happen fast and moving forward We can't take our kids out of school If we disrupt these if we disrupt them and change their schools and change their routines and everything we end up going backwards these elementary school kids at this age where they're learning This
is all we get We get like you know four to nine years old is where they're going to do a majority of that developing It just needs to be fixed I just wanted to come down here and just state it and bring up my daughter's incident So it was on the record as well
that that had happened and everyone involved completely dropped the ball And if we didn't go in and aggressively try to get the information ourself we don't think it ever would have even come back to us Thank you Here Hi U Caitlin Malloy I live at 316
Hawthorne Lane Uh my son James is 6 years old He's in the MD class at Collins um in regards to um Gunderson sweeping over the rug In October of 2024 I went to pick up my son and he was standing behind the bus in the middle of the street My son had got out of the
gate passed his Pyra and was by the pipe of the bus when I parked my car No teacher was visible when I saw my son I immediately ran to get my son and then the parro had come out When I went to uh address the school I was told to
wait outside for 25 minutes by Norah Green before she would talk to me And then I had an emergency meeting within the next few days with Gunderson and Mrs Green where I was told "Well we always expect the worst right my son could have been hit by a
car." And I was told "Well we always expect the worst." The next day a memo went out saying "Oh don't worry The gates will be closed the gates will be closed Every day I go to that school gates still open and the gate is locked by a chain that
doesn't even lock A chain that wraps three times and any kid can unwrap it three times Two months ago I had an IEP meeting where I was told my son was recommended for the ASUS program I immediately said no And I've had to fight for the last six weeks to get my
son what he needs in this MD program My son has had five teachers this year five And when I was told that's not a reason for his regression it's the powers that do the most of the work Well the parro let my son run out of the into
the street Gunnerson also said "Well she's been with us for a long time so she's a really good parro." My son could have hurt himself He's 5 years old He's high functioning which I'm very grateful for But everything happening in Barney I have
the ability I will move I will move to Mana Hawin where my kid has all the opportunities he needs I went to visit the ASES program four weeks ago when they uh offered it to my son and I was mind blown by the door that they were locked behind It is unacceptable There
is absolutely no reason why my six-year-old needs to be locked away with kids with disabilities My son's 8 years old He goes to Collins He loves seeing his little brother at lunch He loves seeing his other brother in specials And I was told the buddy system
walking across to the school where my son's already in alopment risk H how can I trust that he won't run into the road he was in the road once before I just think this district really needs to do something because I've lived in Mig for 10 years My mom is in special
education in Jackson and what has been going on is appalling And I loved um Dumpy as well They were amazing My son was amazing and the teacher specifically told me "Do not let James in that ASUS program." This is somebody that works at your
district Do better [Applause] Hi I'm Holly Robertello 23 Dearrun Drive North Although I don't have two children
in ACES they both do have IEPs because they're delayed with metabolic disorders Their metabolic disorder is called ASAS There's less than a thousand people in the world that have this If my children was either of my child was to be given protein it can kill them Not they can't
have one chicken nugget they can't have um one child can have an egg That's about it If I wasn't lucky enough to have my two children's teachers be so communicative with me how do I know what they're giving in class parties granted
they can't have anything in Collins now because they're not allowed class parties because of the peanut issue So um but at Duny my child's teacher is exceptional So if I didn't have that I'm afraid for my children to move up How
can I trust my children if there's or my teacher the teachers if they're not trained by the board to have to take things seriously um sorry
So if you failed the kids in ACES I just h I don't have any confidence that you're not going to fail mine also So also I fear that my status in the PTA may be revoked because we have been told that if we speak negatively about the
board we would be kicked out But you board members say that you aren't allowed in the schools Why not why can't you join the PTA it's $10 Don't go to Duncan or Starbucks One night one breakfast $10 You don't have to be a parent You don't have to be just a
teacher You can be a community member And it is anyone in Mirage uh venue at Lighthouse Station Ma Man Mana Hawken My mother is someone in the PTA now volunteered there and she helped out at the book fair She was going to get her
friends So why can't any of you um also I would like to congratulate our PTA members who are here as such as our president Our PTA is doing an amazing job at including all of the students in
ACES to make sure that they don't feel left out Something that you guys are not doing So it looks like our PTA is doing so much better at being inclusive unlike the board Thank you Good evening My name is Daniel Hoffman
48 Starboard Avenue Uh I'm a senior at Barnag High School and I serve as the executive student body president for the high school As representative to this board from the student body of the high school it's my responsibility to express our student body's concerns with the district the school and the board itself
And as we all see it that time is now I don't want to take up too much of your time but in that regard I must express our greatest disdain disapproval and disappointment in the district in light of recent events in the ASUS program As students we have a responsibility to speak up and advocate for those of us who can't And let me make myself clear
we do when called upon The atrocities committed by the staff involved as well as the proper oversight administrators are vile acts that should never be tolerated But as it seems with every story today and every parent here today these actions are not a one-time event rather a repetitive pattern It's my most
sincere responsibility to implore this board and this body as a whole to ensure this never happens again I speak regularly at these meetings and consistently bring up the issue of climate and culture within the schools Mr President Dr Relatless You ask for input and you ask for people to show up
But what good would that do if Barnagget seems to act only when necessary my primary concern here tonight is the culture and climate that has been created in this district People have shown up People do show up But when we do it is obvious that there's minimal care about what's said until it becomes either a budgetary issue or a legal one
We get nods blank expressions and the status quo cycled over and over again If Barnagget has cultivated a culture where staff feel it appropriately to appropriate to forcefully restrain non-verbal students we are forced to ask where the line gets drawn of what's possible next I must concretely affirm
that the student body will not sit by and tolerate any form of discrimination or violence against students dually able and unable And I reaffirm our support for the demands of every parent here today Not only for my safety not only for the safety of every stakeholder in this district but most importantly for the safety of all 3,000 students that
call Barnagate home Thank you so [Music] much Anybody else like to address board oh wait You had your hand up in the back There's one person had your
hand up quicker You'll be next Hello my name is Cindy White I'm from Manahin 109 Mason Avenue First thing I want to say is I guess you've realized that special education parents are some of the smartest most tenacious resilient
people you will ever meet in your life We live and breathe every day to make sure our kids get the things that they can't ask for and shouldn't have to ask for I want to commend you on doing what you
did as a board and taking this immediately and responding to it So many districts sweep abuse and neglect of our children under the rug And as a mom of a duly diagnosed amazing
14-year-old who was abused I have seen it firsthand And it is as heartbreaking as everybody is saying and feeling So I do want to commend you for that That being said you do have options as a board Even though you're only supposed
to deal with the fiscal and the administrative issues within a district you can call on New Jersey school boards to do a strategic planning meeting with your special education department They will come in and they will meet with parents school community members and
community members and devise a strategic planning schedule and plan that needs to be adhered to for the next three to five years within your district to change things and it will give the parents a voice to make that happen The other thing that you can do I have to put on
my glasses now because I'm old Um it is a state law that every district in the state of New Jersey has a parentrun advisory group It's called a CPAG And many districts get away with not having a CPAG by running their own
and not explaining the need for a CPAG to a parent group It is critically important when a school is in a situation like this that the parents have a voice and they're not only speaking for themselves but for their children and you as a board have a
responsibility to make sure that those two things are happening within your district Thank [Applause]
you Hi my name is Karen Aker three court Um although I don't have an autistic child um this is my first year with my six-year-old in an elementary school Um I recently had an incident in his
classroom where one of the teachers um had graphed his ri my son's wrist um for no apparent reason and my son came home told me about it And before I jumped to conclusions you know I messaged the teacher said "Did anything happen did
you see anything happen?" and she said no Um he didn't say anything to her So then I emailed Norah Green um about this incident that had happened cuz I was pretty pissed off about it Um she dodged my emails dodged my phone calls the next
day Um the teacher did talk to me about it and said that she left the classroom for about five minutes to go make copies for a project that they were working on The very next day around 1 2 PM I got an email from Nora Green stating that she
had spoken to the kindergarten teacher that this had happened with um and the I guess the um enrichment program teacher that was in that classroom at that time They called me and they both had said to
me that the teacher that grabbed his wrist did not recall any of this happening whatsoever Um I told him that my child is not a liar He does not come home and tell stories about teachers doing this or that He
does his own thing Um I told her that had it been my daughter I would have believed it because she's a little dramatic but not from him Um he said that you know he um took him out of the classroom He
spoke to my son outside of the classroom if he made him feel a certain way if he had touched him in a a certain way Um I was actually very annoyed at the fact that that teacher had pulled my son out on a one-on-one basis without another
supervisor there or anybody else to be a witness with this Um she didn't do anything about it didn't you know she kind of brushed it under the rug Um I just it was my first year in Barnagate Elementary School and I am pulling my
son out and he will be going to Manahogen school in September Um I'm take making that move Anybody any friends that are coming into the Barnes school I'm advising them not to Um I was very skeptical about Collins when my son wanted to start there Um I have a friend
here who has been bullied by a teacher and by his peers and she pulled him out and is now homeschooling him because nobody is doing anything about it They told her that they needed to do a formal complaint about it Um I think this is unacceptable um with everything going on
with bullying in schools and kids taking their lives they're waiting for an incident to happen um for them to take you know any anything like they they don't do anything about it Um I don't know why
the administrative just waits for something to happen Um they're waiting for this formal written paper that they need you know to investigate things otherwise it's just like nothing happens Um it's very yeah it's it's it's
concerning and it's very alarming to me and I am trying to do everything I can to get out of this Barnagget district Um I'm just not happy with it as a first-time parent Thank [Applause]
you Anyone else like to address uh back behind a poll back here you uh in the middle be next Me you know you'll be after her here Good evening My name is Alexandra Duvalakis I am in Forkid River I am a
board certified behavior analyst in Tom's River I work privately I have dedicated my life to working with children with autism I have a program that we have early learners before they go to school age
and we take them and we care for them and we teach them everything that they need when they enter private school I am terrified to think that these children that I have dedicated my time and my life to are coming into your
district next year I have in the past advised my parents that if their children are not expected to be mainstreamed that they keep them out of school until first grade because what I say is once you go into the district you don't know what's
happening I am held to impeccably high standards by an ethics board I have to do continuing education to retain my certification I do not understand how there is such a culture
where teachers and paraprofessionals feel safe behaving the way that they do towards these children and that is 100% on all of you and whoever oversees their training I am held to a high ethical
standard Are they not held to the same standard and if they are not why are their superiors not holding them to that standard that tells me that they are not being trained on ethics and they are not taught that they should be holding each other accountable in a center like the
one I work in It would be unheard of I would tell you to go home We are trained on proper deescalation so that restraint is not required And if restraint is happening because it is required it is only to be
done by trained staff We do a debriefing after the fact and a repairing with the client to make sure that they are still feeling safe and comfortable with us and we have to then meet with our supervisors to ensure that we were held to the top ethical standard
that is required of our lensure At any point I could be told on I could be reported and I could lose my license and therefore my job and my past 15 years of experience and I'm not willing to do that So my question to you
is what are you going to do to ensure that your teachers are just as afraid to lose their jobs and their certifications when they behave in a way like this not only are they comfortable behaving like that they believe assault is a joke Never in my life have I heard
someone say that an assault is a joke It's despicable And why was it comfortable enough that they could speak about it look at it like nothing was wrong because no one is holding them accountable and there are no repercussions So I would bring it to you
and ask what do you need to do who do you need to bring in to ensure that they understand the severity of their job because at the end of the day we get to go home and these parents get their kids back It is a difficult job and it's not for everyone So what is going to be done
to ensure that these kids are getting the care that they need and deserve when they have no voice for themselves it's really really sad from my part and I would urge you to seek out the direction of other professionals like myself We're held to a high ethical
standard You have occupational therapists You have physical therapists You have behaviorists Are they licensed are they credentialed are they checking in these classrooms it's it's so bring in ABA staff that have
clinical a review board I would offer my services I have colleagues who would offer their services to consult you on what is best practice and what is ethical but it seems like you guys don't know how to work with kids with autism And at the end of the day no one is checking in on
you So I'll leave it at that But I just as a professional feel like I need to share if I'm held to this standard you are government This is you we give you our kids over to you and we have to just entrust that you're going to have these checks and
balances So I urge you to do some searching on what it means to have a program like the ASES program because it seems like you don't really understand what goes into it And that's all Thank you Anybody else like to I see in the purple
over here I guess after her I'm sorry I had you next Sorry Oh go ahead You Yeah you can go ahead I Hi Uh my name is Michelle Lascowitz I have three different children in the school district One at Dumpy one at
Collins and one at Horbelt Um I have to say I do not envy your position right now I used to work in a school district I was a school counselor for many years um up in Mammoth County and Mercer County So I know what it's like working with um parents and teachers in Paris
and special ed And it's it's not it's not for the faint of heart Um I have two children that have 504 plans Used to be IEP now 504 plans I have to say that some um in your district are phenomenal
And um I can give you an example just to lift up a little bit Um my oldest has ADHD He's got social issues Um but he's not a mean kid He's got a a really a really good heart And last year he was
able to befriend somebody over um at Donahghue and it was put in his plan to please keep these two together because my kid had never had a friend before until last year and he was nine and he
finally found his first friend They were not put in the same class together despite what the recommendation was I contacted um Dr Saxton who's here and he resolved that in 24 [Applause]
hours because of that Um he has such a good rel relationship with my kid Every time he sees them they either do a fist bump or a high five And it's been such a pos positive experience for my older son
who now has three other friends And again for that's my first kid So I didn't know what life was going to be like for him And so coming here we've only been in the district for a couple of years And I moved from Howell down to here And it's it's not like it was 26
years ago Um it is a better place And my oldest and Dr Saxton probably wouldn't realize this but used to get into fights all the time and throw desks Um and now he's got friends and he's learning I
can't say that for my second son Um my second son is at Collins and um he had a really good experience at Duny Miss Eggird over at Duny is phenomenal Um we came over to kindergarten and his first teacher and I'm not going to call her
out I don't think it's necessary to do that um wasn't the best with him She had a very very difficult class um he had been tested right before going to kindergarten So Collins had everything in front of them if they read his file
to be able to understand the type of kid that I have And they put a difficult child in a classroom with more difficult children And so within the first week of school my kid and other kid were punching each other in the face in the
class which I had never had before at Duny He had never gotten into a physical fight at school Then um he was taking his shoes off and crawling around on the floor and and whining and that's not something he had ever done before either
Now I have a background in school counseling So I worked in the schools as I said so I knew what my rights were and I was able to contact the school I got a meeting because I showed up at the school And during the entire
meeting Nora Green was rolling her eyes and trying to get us to not do what I wanted to do which was switch his class because I knew he wasn't going to thrive Same thing with um Mr Gunderson Um they did do what I asked and they didn't do
100% of what I wanted However I was willing to go through with the steps that they recommended and the teacher that they recommended um rather than what was put in his plan from Duny Again they had everything that they needed to understand where to place him
They didn't know anything about my child When I went into that meeting they still didn't know anything about my child They did not look at his file Pieces of paper are there for a reason We do evaluations for a reason for them to
review it They did not review it My son's first two weeks I'm sorry two months at Collins were horrific And he he definitely um regressed in his progress that Miss Eggert spent so much time building up
He went into Miss Bel Fury's class and ever since then she is a she is a blessing Um I can't say enough things enough good things about Miss Bel Fury in the first grade and his current teacher too She's she's also been very
accommodating I had his Oh I'm sorry I had his 504 reviewed as well um because we um we changed his diagnosis and I was able to get a meeting right away But again I also know the rules I also know
the regulations I know what the state has to do for my child I know those meetings When you have a meeting when you request it in writing it has to be done within 60 days So whatever mom did not get that meeting within 60 days you're out of compliance And I know
that's not your fault here I know that's the special education team's fault And it's 100% falls on the principles and the people that are running the schools Do you have a right to go to the school and sit in a classroom and
observe as the board of education yes you do have the right There is no law preventing you from doing that I understand you have full-time jobs I understand you have full-time jobs I have full I have a full-time job too I currently work for a medical
school using my counseling skills there to actually help the kids that are learning to be doctors that have disabilities and get a proper education so that they can be doctors So I'm very familiar in that world You have the right You can do it
You have to make the time And I know that's not easy Again I have three boys They're all involved in activities and I'm a full I work full-time I take time off from my job I volunteer with the PTA I do the book fairs I go and I help my
kids at school My middle one is a troublemaker and I get that So every time they have a party I volunteer so that I know that he is not only being safe in the classroom with other people but he's also not being inappropriate with his words which he can be
inappropriate I know my kid but you have the ability you have the right And now we're telling you what's happening with our district and you need to hold your principles and your director of special education accountable for what's happening
Thank you Thank you Gendeloo 17 mutine nearer a no friend should get a call and see her friend losing it and crying after she receives a call to tell
them that her child was taped No parent should get that call It's not funny and it's not a joke And Brian that's not the first time I've had to say that to you
We sat in a room and talked about other incidents that weren't funny and weren't a joke And you listened to me and we had good talks about it And when the time came for me to resign because I no longer felt safe I
no longer felt the support that I once had And that ethics code that we have that's more important to me than the paycheck here We had an exit interview which I appreciated and we talked about it
because I do believe that there was a desire for change But I just watch as great teacher after great teacher leaves gets let go gets pushed out and it's heartbreaking
Our kids need those staff the ones that we can trust This isn't funny It's not a joke And if it was meant to as one it's disgusting We can do better And I know
that I know that this team can There are some amazing administrators here There are some are some incredible teachers here I know that you guys can do this I know that you can This isn't about everybody airing every
last story that's ever happened to them today because we shouldn't be taking away from the incident that's occurring We need to move forward I appreciate that this is already a meeting in place We both know that those cameras
are more beneficial to the staff and I I can guarantee that majority of them would want that We've talked about it for years If those cameras were there people might think twice about how they acted that
day I've always always put my character and integrity at the top And when I felt that I couldn't I couldn't be a match for what was happening I decided it was time to go
So before more people walk away while you still have some good people left figure out what you're going to do to make a change I do have a question A mom approached me about her
son being off not his typical self last week And I said 'Well maybe with the fact that the staff has been put on leave maybe the classroom makeup has changed That would make sense right we have to put someone new in those rooms we might have to shift people around We
might not have to We might have to break up the people with skill right that would be realistic So I recommended that she send an email to ask that question because that would help her understand what was going on with her child She was told
that there was no change to the children environment or the staff But I'm confused with that because one of the first women that spoke mentioned that there were changes So can somebody please clarify that for
me in the ASUS program the students in the classroom is that what you're referencing in another classroom So were other classrooms affected did other children get merged into those rooms or staff changed and it's okay if they did That's completely
understandable But we try to look at it from a behavior standpoint of what might be throwing the children off And when the parent sold there's no change But somebody up here says that they were advised there was a change It's a little confusing
I'm not sure exactly how much in depth I can go about it but I will tell you that that classroom obviously the in that classroom left and those students did get relocated other classrooms Yes those the students in that classroom were uh placed elsewhere Okay that makes sense
Um it's sad that that was not as transparent and I do appreciate your transparency Um but I think watching that parent tonight hear that was hurtful for her because she was given different information So I think that's
something that we need to look at Making sure that all the right stakeholders get all of the right information And to everyone that spoke tonight I see you I hear you all And I support all of you I do
Good evening My name is Alicia Bivvens Um I live in Manah Hawken currently I lived in Barnagate for 4 years Um all three of my children attended Barnagate school system Um when I moved to Manah
Hawin my two girls were significantly behind They were so behind that they didn't even want to stay in that district But I pushed them to stay
there My one graduated AB honor role from sophomore to senior My sixth grader has been on honor role since she's entered Let me speak about my son Jojo
We all know Jojo He had an IEP He was a star football player He graduated Barnagate with a low GPA He had several D1 offers He could
not accept I'm all about taking accountability I was on him I said "This is your fault son." But then I had to think about it How can a kid that have an IEP have such a low GPA how come I wasn't aware that he
couldn't accept any of his D1 offers how come I didn't know that he couldn't get any of these D1 offers until senior day i'm like coach what's going on what's going on with Joe and I don't hear from colleges I didn't
hear from the colleges because we were unaware his GPA was low I'm only standing up here to say it has to be more communication When you have family members with children in the school district with
IEPs and seniors that's going into school going into colleges that's play sports We need more communication Everyone needs to be on the same board My son is doing well He's been on
the deans list in college and I'm thankful but it still bothers him that he didn't get that D1 offer from this school that he loved All I'm just saying is for the next parent coming up with with the same situation
that my son was in please just give them more communication regarding that Thank you and have a good night Hello my name is Crystal Dero I live at 155 Village I first want to piggyback
off of the Dunfy school is fantastic My daughter is non-verbal She is in Miss Dubiaz's class And there is communication immediately My daughter get comes home with a boo
boo I knew hours ago The nurse already called me The teacher already messaged me I know exactly what happened when it happened how my daughter was feeling if she was sad if she was if she had a tear I know every single detail from that
school My son is in the con school He is six years old He is not autistic So he tells me he can verbally tell me "Hey I am getting bullied I was hit today." I reach out to his teacher Oh well he's
kind of asking for it He keeps going over to the other student I said "Do you know why he wants that kid to like him." Yeah but he's kind of just got to get away from him And I said "So my son who
wants other students to like him who has no issue with any of the other kids is being punished He can't stand there He can't play there in the classroom because that kid sees him and is going to hit him." And I'm
told that other student is he's difficult Okay then that needs to be addressed I emailed her again She said "I have forward your message to guidance and the administration I am still waiting to
hear back I have not received anything at all." Another time same student hits him in his special We have told administration "Okay I haven't heard from administration Whatever happened my son
has been hit by this kid again and again And every time the teacher magically happens to talk to me through phone call there's no paper trail of her saying "Your son's asking for it." Every time I'll deal with it That's always in paper It's always written But
every time "Well can you tell your son to stop?" I'm constantly reminding him to sit down and get get away from that student I don't know why my son trying to make friends as a six-year-old boy should be
punished because some other kid can't keep his hands to himself And of course that kid I don't know what he's going through He might have a terrible home life That's no excuse for him to put hands on my student my child But administration they're not stepping in
either This kid is in class every single day He is not secluded My son has to be secluded because he wants friends And I have not heard one thing I actually just checked my email again back there Still nothing from
anyone He's being bullied on the bus I reached out to transportation before I even could put my phone down They reached back out to me and they handled that immediately So he's on the bus for 10 minutes and that's taken care of But school he's
there for hours and that's not taken care of The place where he's spending the bulk of his day they can't make the time to see if maybe that other student needs help He needs help at home or he needs help
verbalizing how he's feeling So my son's being punished for it And if he's being difficult so his teacher says he's probably doing it to other students But I won't know I'm not going to hear back from them So I think that Colin School really
needs their administration They need to be rehauled I can't I have never heard a good thing about the principal the vice principal It's unfortunate I haven't And he's my first son He's my first child in school and he loves it Even though he's
getting hit he still comes home and he tells me what he learned that day or he tells me what he played in special And he is a happy boy And my daughter even though she has a great teacher now I am scared for when she enters Collins
because I see my son who does not have any disabilities He is perfectly normal so to say But the school would say and yet he is being bullied He is being abused and he can speak for
himself So I'm scared for my three-year-old daughter She's going to have another wonderful year in Duny Wonderful I cannot say enough I love that school What those teachers are doing you need to figure it out and have
everyone else learn from them because everything they're doing I feel so secure When I send her to school I know she's going to have a great day and she always does But when I send my son to school I'm waiting for phone calls I'm waiting for emails of what happened next
who hit him And I'm grateful it's never been a staff member but at this point I don't know what I'm going to get because going into that school is terrifying And I wish I didn't have to
send him there in fear but every day I do and it's really unfortunate So I think that right now we need to figure out what to do with the administration and guidance over there because my son should not be getting hit by other students and being
told he's asking for it Thank [Applause] you Is there anybody else that would like
to address Oh over here Christina Partica 17 Right Road Um I did not plan on speaking tonight but after hearing everything I have an interesting point of view because I was a teacher in the district up until last in June I
left my tenure track position I left where I was with great reviews and I came here for a better home life balance I had a short time at Horbell It was the end of the year and there wasn't a spot so they moved me over to Collins which I
thought in the beginning was going to be a better fit I'm now hearing these things and just going back through and thinking about things I was not asked back at the end of the year because
of I I feel as though I was victimized be I was 32 weeks pregnant when I found with twins when I found out I wasn't being renewed and I was told that there was they didn't have to tell me a reason
and if I wanted a reason I needed to wait 10 days and then they could figure out a reason I am now petrified that my son who loves going to school at Duny when he goes to Collins that there's going to be an issue because I have seen how Collins deals with their situations
I was a general ed teacher and there were issues with students on the bus and they were both in my classroom and one of the solutions was for me to put tape on the ground so a student wouldn't be able to move out of that area to go
bother the other kid instead of dealing with the underlying situation I called for our therapist to come support me with a very difficult child in my room I said they are impacting the students in the classroom that are trying to learn
and they would just come and sit and say "Oh well she's doing fine now That's not helping those other 24 students in the classroom." I heard how te parents were being talked about in faculty meetings
And I'm afraid when my four-year-old goes into Collins that it's going to be a reflection on me because why when we had our first star testing and I didn't retest students who didn't do well because
that's against my ethics It the kids get what they get on it and then we've improved from there I was told it doesn't look good The board won't like that your students some of them went down after the first one Instead of seeing true data of where students go I
was a recipient of a growth award when I was at Horbell and I started midyear and my students had a really hard time that year and they made strides and I even received one of the superintendent awards The next year I'm told it doesn't
look good that some of your kids are going down and by the end of the year my students all made grade level When I was out one day the kids were then retested by a substitute and the principal told me "See they didn't all make it It just
doesn't make sense." So I had them retested but she didn't have them retested in a small group like we were told to do She didn't have them retested how they were assigned It was all at once at the end of the day on a Friday when I wasn't there behind my back to
try to catch me doing something wrong or catch me trying to inflate scores Of course students aren't going to do well on tests when they're with a substitute at the end of the day on a Friday That makes no sense at all And if all that we
care about are test scores then there's a bigger problem or all we care about are what people see When I was in that meeting told that I was not going to be asked back for no reason uh the principal did not speak to me once And
10 minutes before that meeting I had 32 weeks pregnant I was told "Oh by the way you're not part of the union because you never filled out the paper that no one gave me So you can't have union representation there with you."
So again I now have to worry that my son is going to now be subjected to this And then again when my twins get there Dunfy I really held my feet I was not sure I was sending him because of what I experienced as a
teacher and administration That relationship still wasn't good So something needs to happen to make all of this better because it's I'm I'm scared to set when my child has to go to kindergarten I have nothing but great things about Duny but it's not
okay Thank you Any gentleman over here i am uh Pete Darno 75 Freedom Hills Drive And this is nerve-wracking for everyone who did this Um something's really bothering me about all this There's one well a lot a lot bothers me
about all this One thing that keeps coming up that in my mind is the the accountability that you're looking for today See I missed the first 10 meetings so I apologize if you guys cover this a little differently Let me calm down Um the accountability be seems to be for the people that were in the room that
day and that's who you're voting on if they're going to keep their jobs or not But it's been mentioned so many times of those that are above them Like Gunderson's name has come up like 10 times like easily Dr Latist I was nervous to come up here because Gunderson I don't think he's
here right just please just talk this way Yeah He's a v if he is I'm going to he's a vindictive dude Um I've had per we my family's had problems with him with my son's autistic Thankfully now out of district like I say thankfully because
I'm terrified for my son to be in this district like so many others that share the same kind of story It's not because of him It was in spite of Gunderson that we got him out of district We had to hire an advocate We had to have threat of a lawyer to to represent us And then finally my son was removed from a
situation that was very dangerous for him and very dangerous for other students Like I understand what was going on and the threat that other students were going to have from my son and the condition that he was in Um it was a horrible scenario that he kept being a block on and kept would not let him get the services he needed and we're
privileged enough to be able to afford someone who can represent us But how about all those people that don't have that privilege that cannot afford to hire someone and then they're stuck to his whims and what he thinks is going to happen what he thinks is the best thing to happen And one of the things that bothers me so much about this whole scenario and now my son they're trying
to mainstream him back I'm terrified I'm terrified for him to be mainstream back into this district The only thing that is actually got me a little bit to come off the the ledge is that Dr Saxton and and Mrs Lane are the you know the administrators there at the school and I think they're fantastic and that's like
the only bit of hope I have that my son can go back So I love you guys Um but when I'm going to say all the rest of this is allegedly We don't have all the information So I get that like legally disclaimer allegedly When Gunderson reviewed what
had happened and he called the mother he said that it was just a joke Like why in any space in any universe would it this whole thing be a joke allegedly the person who was accused of these actions her mother is a principal in this district Allegedly I'm going to say from
what I understand she was once an assistant director to Gunderson I mean the nepotism that that looks like is disgusting Is he just a really bad administrator that says it was a joke or was it because he knows the mother and this person who's accused of these
things if that doesn't sit right with you like that's a problem Um I want I know you can you're not going to answer but I would ask please go beyond the accountability of those people that were in the room Look at the administrators like Gunderson I mean it's not just me His name was mentioned so many times
Please consider the fact that there's a systemic problem here and it starts at the top like many had said So that's why I thank you Thank [Music] you And and sir I know you um just for a second And I know you said you got here
a little late You didn't catch the first 10 minutes I'm not sure if you caught my um speech that I had said u earlier I said tonight the actions we'll be taking on the agenda is what I anticipate the first steps in addressing this matter
and I do anticipate further ramic ramifications after the board's discussion in executive session tonight So again I know you weren't here for that but I just wanted to read it again for you Is there anybody else seeing none Oh you're you're I
spoke earlier Yes I just want to thank everybody in the room who had the stand up and sir Sir I I apprec I appreciate it and you you were right and correct I do appreciate everyone getting up and standing up and sharing their stories
and and sharing their stories with us tonight Sir sir please please sir Um [Applause] I I again do appreciate everybody
getting up tonight sharing their stories sharing their I'll get you next Sharing their concerns sharing their uh stories with their children Um things that have happened to them Again it's not easy I know that it's not easy to get up and say that and speak about your child to speak about past things that have
happened to to somebody you love like that Um so again I'm grateful and thankful that you came out tonight took the time and to to fill us in um and share the stories with us that you did to give us the information that I think again is very important in us making the next steps and doing the things that we
think we need to do um to point this direction this district back in the right direction uh right here in the middle that had their hand up You're you're good All right So seeing none can I get a motion to close
public session please so moved Second Roll call Miss Kenanza Yes Mr Porza Yes Miss Jeie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss Mista yes Miss Terowski
miss Washburn is now online Yes and Mr Sarn Yes Motion carried Thank you Um next on our agenda is executive session Can I get a motion to move an executive session to discuss personnel matters and
issues please so move Second Roll call Miss Continz Yes Mr Fedorzic Yes Miss Jeanie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss Msa yes Miss Terinowski yes Miss Washburn
yes And Mr Sarno Yes Motion carried Thank you With that we will um enter an executive session as a board and discuss kind of what we've heard tonight and some of the personnel decisions we have to make going forward I'm anticipating we will be in there quite a while Um but
you are more than welcome to stay here um until we come back out of executive session um to see what happens next So thank you like to call this Barnet Board of Education meeting back to order please Roll call
Miss uh Continanza here Mr Fedorzic here Miss Jeanie here Mr Hearn here Miss Msa here Miss Terowski here Miss Washburn here And Mr Sarno here Forum Thank you All right Right Under item 10 under
personnel motions we will begin with motion number one Motion to approve the following employee dismissals effective immediately Termination of employment per district policy We have four different employees up for termination Can I get a motion on item one please so
move Second Roll call Miss Continanza Yes Mr Fedorzic yes Miss Genie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss MSA yes Miss Terowski yes Miss Washburn yes And Mr Sarno yes Motion carried Thank you
Motion number two under personnel motions motion to approve the following employees employee dismissals effective immediately Termination of employee employment per district policy Can I get a motion to approve that please second
Roll call Miss Continza yes Mr Fedorzic yes Miss Genie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss Msa yes Miss Terowski Yes Miss Washburn Yes And Mr Sarno Yes Motion carried Okay Item number three which will not be on
your agenda Um I will have the business administrator read please Motion to approve employee ID 5449 from director of special services to district vice principal Can I get a motion to approve that please so moved
Second Roll call Miss Continza yes Mr Fedorzic yes Miss Jeanie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss MSA yes Miss Terrannowski yes Miss Washburn yes And Mr Sarno yes Motion carried
Thank you Um don't know if Dr Latas would like to just fill in people the public on Sure Just uh providing some context uh just so people kind of know where this is going Next steps Uh starting tomorrow I'll be uh assuming the roles and responsibilities of director of special
ed in conjunction with uh district superintendent Um and obviously as we start to flesh out some more next uh steps and things like that uh we'll be communicating those out And uh first order of business uh you know obviously there's a lot of feedback tonight Um you
know we have uh some work to do clearly to rebuild a lot of that trust Uh one of the things we will be doing is uh having an opportunity uh for parents like I had mentioned earlier to come in and provide some guidance and some feedback on the next steps of the ACES program and where that goes um for next uh for next school
year And just on my end uh just want to let the public know that uh in our discussions in there one of the things that was recommended um was creating a ad hoc committee for the board um that will work in conjunction as liaison with
the special ed department and specifically the ais department uh program um moving forward where Dr allow has agreed to allow that um committee to have more of a handson
um uh feel on a daily b not daily basis but monthly weekly basis of what's happening eyes on um not just from afar reports we will actually be working in conjunction handinand with Dr out with the administration overseeing and
working in that department moving forward Um so again as we do our monthly reports to the public for each committee that will be a committee that will be added to our monthly reports reporting out to the public on what we are seeing what we are hearing things that may be coming down changes that may be
happening so we can report out to the community what is happening within that department and ACES specifically Um so again I appreciate everyone coming out tonight I appreciate everyone staying for the remainder Um and again we uh
greatly appreciate hearing your comments your feedback Um you know it means a lot to us and again we're here to ensure our kids are safe every day from the minute they step on that bus walk into our schools get off that bus and are back in
your arms again That is our responsibility and our our our our sworn um code to take as a board member and there is again like I said this was just the beginning of the things that we plan on doing ahead
things we are not done with what that we are going to do as a board Um I think as many as you said we can do better um and that will be our motto going forward we we can do better and we are going to demand better um from all those that work in this district So again I thank
you again Thank you for being here and thank you for staying Um that can I get a motion to adjurnn so move Second Roll call Miss Continanza Yes Mr Fedoriz Yes Miss
Jeanie yes Mr Hearn yes Miss Msa yes Missowski yes Miss Washburn yes Mr Sarno yes Motion carried Thank you Meeting is adjourned