Perth Amboy Teacher Who Lost License For 'Truth Or Dare' Loses Appeal

PERTH AMBOY, NJ — A former Perth Amboy High School teacher permanently lost his teaching license after he allowed teenage students to play a game of "Truth or Dare" in his class in 2018, and the state decided to keep his license revoked despite his attempts to get it back.

The teacher is Vincent Cinquina. The state of New Jersey revoked Cinquina's teaching license in 2023. However, Cinquina then appealed their decision.

This week, the NJ Department of Education confirmed it upheld the decision to permanently revoke his multiple teaching licenses.

In this complaint from the NJ Department of Education against Cinquina, the state says Cinquina permitted the high school students to play a game of "Truth or Dare" in his class in May 2018: Some of the "dares" consisted of students kissing and touching each other, having one student lick the floor, and run through the halls of the high school screaming.

Also, during that game the students used an offensive and inappropriate term for a group of people, and Cinquina did not stop the students from saying it. The DOE did not say the slur the teens used.

Cinquina is still fighting to get his teaching license back. As of August 2024, he said the matter is currently being reviewed by an NJ Administrative Law judge.

"In short, the (NJ Education) commissioner in his final decision that is currently being appealed by the state Board of Education doesn’t state I did any of the things I was being accused of," he told Patch. "But rather, it just says he believes the state Board of Education, who immediately filed an appeal. My license was revoked at this point because my paperwork was a few days late with the commissioner, not because of any proof I or the children did anything inappropriate. Currently I’m awaiting the Administrative Law judge’s decision and am confident the truth will come forthcoming."

"When the commissioner and the state Board of Education offer differing opinions, that tells you they know the allegations are false," he added. "It didn’t matter what evidence I was going to put forth — the arbitrator was going to rule against me."

In 2020, a state arbitrator found that the Perth Amboy school district "demonstrated the truthfulness of the 'Truth or Dare' allegations," and dismissed Cinquina from his tenured employment. Three years later, in 2023, he permanently lost his multiple NJ teaching licenses.

Cinquina appealed. However, what he specifically challenged was "the fairness and accuracy of the tenure arbitration. He did not specifically deny the conduct," said the state Board in this decision.

The board decided to uphold the decision to revoke his licenses.

Cinquina held multiple teaching certificates, including a K-8 teaching certificate and a teaching certificate for special-needs students. He is no longer allowed to teach in the state of New Jersey.

The Perth Amboy school district said there were issues with Cinquina before the game, including that he once called police to come to the school in the middle of class "because he was upset the principal was conducting an evaluation" of him.