Few Issues Resolved At Stormy Lacey Board of Ed Meeting

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Monday night's Lacey Board of Education meeting began with a plea for civility from Superintendent Craig Wigley, but soon deteriorated into boos and catcalls from the audience that packed much of the high school auditorium.

In the end, no one got what they came for - details about the apparent in-school suspension of two advanced placement students who some say were punished because they posted photos of themselves at a gun range on a social media page.

The board almost immediately went into closed session at 5:45 p.m., the beginning of the caucus session. The came out after 7 p.m., shortly after the regular meeting began.

Before they came out, one resident addressed the crowd with a loudspeaker. She thanked them for coming, thanked them for their support. Then she had an unusual request. She asked the audience to stand up and clap when board members administration returned.

When they returned, they applauded.

One by one, audience members lambasted the board of the reported suspensions, but got no details.

Board President Robert C. Klaus II made it clear at the start of the meeting that board members and the administration were prohibited from discussing any confidential details involving any students. He did say he was a member of the NRA and grew up in a family with guns.

He cautioned residents about the dangers of spreading rumors, especially on social media.

"One you put it out there, you can't take it back," he said.

Board Attorney Christopher Supsie said a previous policy dealing with students and guns crafted in 1995 was done with input from the federal Secret Service's Safe School Initiative and the state's Zero Tolerance For guns Act.

The district's policy is being reworked so that it would apply to students who performed a criminal activity, even off-campus, with a gun; possessed an illegal firearm; or brought any firearm onto school property or a school bus. The new version would not involve students who lawfully possess a gun or use a gun off school property, Supsie said.

Resident John Pinto asked what would happen if he took his son to a gun range on Tuesday, took some pictures and posted them on Facebook.

"We can't discuss what would happen in a hypothetical situation," Supsie said.

Several representatives from gun rights groups also went to the microphone during the public portion of the meeting, including Alexander Brubain, a member of the Hightstown-based new Jersey Second Amendment Society.

"No school board should become a left-wing propaganda machine," he said.

The audience jeered at former board member Regina Discenza when she defended board members and administrators for not providing details on the matter.

"In light of what just happened in Parkland. Florida, how can anyone say our administration did not do the right thing?," Discenza said. "Enforcing policy or rules is administration’s job. Students KNOW the District has a code of conduct and behavior policy. Parents should know there is a code of conduct and behavior policy. We all know decisions like this need to be made sometimes and they may not be very popular. Why is the gun lobby attempting to exploit children and the privacy of students?"

Photo: Courtesy of Shutterstock