Essex County: School Board Fires Teacher Who Had Students Write Letters to Mumia Abu Jamal

By ERIC.KIEFER (Patch Staff)

Marylin Zuniga - the 3rd grade teacher in Orange who came under fire for assigning her class to write “thank you” letters to convicted cop killer and political activist Mumia Abu Jamal – was fired by the Orange Board of Education on Tuesday.

During a public meeting, the board approved Zuniga’s termination following several testimonials from the teacher’s supporters, urging the board to restate the suspended educator.

On Wednesday, NJ.com confirmed the board’s decision, which was approved in a “personnel agenda” motion without any public comment.

Zuniga’s attorney, Alan Levine, told NJ.com that school officials “abdicated their responsibility to the community and to the children of the school district.”

Zuniga is considering legal action to challenge the termination, NJ.com stated.

The teacher was suspended in April, after several parents complained about their children’s assignment to write letters of support to Jamal, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted in the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.

In a statement following her suspension, Zuniga called the letter writing campaign a “mistake.”

“The most important fact to highlight in this entire matter is my love for and commitment to my students,” Zuniga stated. “I have always put my children first and I have never and would never put their safety at risk.”

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