NEW BRUNSWICK NJ—The New Brunswick Board of Education (BOE) had no comment after another fight broke out in one of their schools on the morning of November 15.
In this latest incident, a 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with “juvenile offenses consistent with an assault on a school faculty member,” according to New Brunswick Police Department (NBPD) Captain JT Miller.
“The assault occurred inside the Middle School in the early morning near the start of the school day,” Miller continued. “The faculty member received minor injury as a result of the assault.”
According to multiple sources, the fight began in the school nurse’s office between two students. One source told New Brunswick Today that it was a school security guard who was assaulted while attempting to intervene.
“It was handled by the school and something happened after the fight that resulted in charges,” Director of School Security Peter Mangarella said.
According to Mangarella, the fight was between two members of the same family.
“From what I’m understanding… the kids were related,” said Mangarella, who believes the two were cousins.
“Some people were trying to make something out if that it’s really not,” Mangarella continued, alluding to rumors that the fight was gang-related.
The entire school was put under a “shelter in place” order for about half an hour, while an ambulance appeared outside the building.
Later that night, the Board of Education refused to address the incident when asked about the shelter in place.
“We do not comment regarding students,” said BOE President Emra Seawood.
The school’s principal, Jeremiah Clifford, also had no comment regarding the incident. Superintendent Aubrey Johnson did not return multiple requests for comment.
“What’s wrong with the middle schoolers? They got worse,” said a former New Brunswick Middle School graduate .
Parents were also upset about the recent fight, and other recent incidents of violence in the schools.
“Students are getting into many fights,” said one mother at a previous BOE meeting, noting that students also bring weapons without security seeing them.
In March, a New Brunswick High School student was violently attacked in the hallways of the NBHS by another student.
During that incident, a security guard was seen in a video standing there without intervening.
The security guard was apparently fired after public protests and television reports shined a light on the incident. School officials still insisted that procedures and protocols had been followed.
After that incident, the New Brunswick BOE said they would take steps to improve the safety, including a complete re-training of security guards.
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