‘I Take Full Responsibility,' Paterson Superintendent Says Of Graduation Mishap

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Paterson School District Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell has responded to the recent “mass casualty event” that occurred during Monday’s Paterson graduation ceremonies.

Newell acknowledged the graduation mishap at the start of Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, which was held virtually due to the heatwave and air conditioning failures in the Central Office.

Newell took “full responsibility” after Paterson’s outdoor graduation ceremony at Hinchliffe Stadium resulted in more than 160 attendees developing heat-related illnesses due to this week’s intense heat wave.

She said that no arrangements were made this year for an alternate graduation location in the event of inclement weather, because an indoor site “limits, significantly, the number of attendees who can attend the ceremony.”

Newell added that organizers “did the best we could with the planning,” providing attendees with ice, water, fans, backup generators, and other precautionary measures.

“We committed to Hinchliffe Stadium and did not plan for an alternative location. For this, as superintendent of schools, I take full responsibility,” she said. “In this instance, even though the decision was made with good intentions, it did not reflect the level of concern for the safety and well-being that I have for my students, my staff members, and the Paterson community.”

Newell emphasized the regret she and the organizers have for the result of the graduation. She added that she is already making plans for alternative locations for future graduations, ensuring that next year’s ceremony will “not only be memorable for all of the good things, but also safe and accessible for everyone present, regardless of the weather conditions.”

“I regret that anyone experienced extreme discomfort or had to receive medical attention. Moving forward, I want you to know that we regret Monday’s graduation — it was bittersweet,” she said. “To prevent this from happening again, I have already begun discussions with the team regarding arrangements for future graduation ceremonies.”

Newell thanked organizers, staff, students, and others for attending the graduation despite the inclement weather.

Heat Issues Across The District

To finish her report, Newell expressed concerns over air conditioning failures throughout the district.

According to the superintendent, air conditioning facilities at New Roberto Clemente School, International High School, John F. Kennedy High School, and Central Office are “not working properly.”

“This has caused inside temperatures to spike, especially during this week’s heatwave,” she said.

Newell said that the district has brought in licensed HVAC technicians to fix the air conditioning and has implemented procedures to accommodate students and staff in the meantime.

Some procedures implemented by the district to accommodate staff and students for the intense heat include early dismissals and relocation to cooler areas, she said.

“It has been a challenge for sure, but the team has continued to work urgently to get the systems running properly again,” Newell said. “Please know that your health and safety is a top priority of mine, and I am continuing to work with the team to resolve these issues to make sure it's a comfortable space to work.”

Newell added that a contingency plan is being put together to “minimize the disruption of work” in the event of air conditioning failures.

Backlash From Paterson Education Association

During the public comment portion of Wednesday's meeting, Paterson Education Association President John McEntee, Jr., spoke before the board, urging policy changes following the aftermath of the extreme weather.

“I am profoundly disappointed that the district failed to allow our employees to leave early on the last day for students, despite the hazardous conditions caused by the well-advertised intense heat,” he said. “This decision put the health and safety of our dedicated school communities at undue risk.”

McEntee said he’d sent the members of the board “concrete” suggestions for internal policy and procedure changes regarding heat emergencies.

“Let me be clear, these are not proposals that will cost the district tens of millions of dollars,” McEnee said. “These are commonsense suggestions, many of which provide crucial opportunities for collaborative input from our parents and community partners.

“It is unconscionable that even after the Board of Health made the recommendation to close International High School, the site, to my knowledge, was not closed,” he continued. “This board has a very unique opportunity before it, you have the chance to craft and implement policies that genuinely make our schools and our worksites safe and healthy places for both our students and our entire school community.”

McEntee’s comment was cut off due to public comment timing protocols. The Board did not directly respond to his criticisms or suggestions.