Barnegat board votes to terminate staff, moves to restructure ACES special‑education program after abuse allegations

The Barnegat Township Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to terminate multiple employees and approved an administrative reassignment after an internal investigation and reports to law‑enforcement and child‑welfare agencies tied to an alleged incident in an ACES special‑education classroom.

Superintendent Dr. Latwos told the board that interviews were “immediately conducted” and that staff were placed on administrative leave while the district’s probe proceeded. He said the Barnegat Township Police Department and the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency were notified and that the district completed an initial independent investigation “within 24 hours.”

The issue drew more than two hours of public comment from parents, former staff and specialists who described long‑standing concerns about training, transparency and the district’s approach to inclusion. “Inclusion, not seclusion,” said Deborah Henry, a grandmother and advocate for an affected student. Parents and private practitioners urged immediate changes including stronger staff training, better communication with families and safer, more inclusive settings for neurodiverse students.

The board moved into executive session to discuss personnel matters and later returned to approve three personnel motions. The first motion — “to approve the following employee dismissals effective immediately, termination of employment per district policy” — passed on a roll call with all board members voting yes. The board approved a second, similar termination motion later in the meeting, also by unanimous roll call. The board then approved a separate motion to reassign Employee ID 5449 from director of special services to district vice principal; that motion passed on a unanimous roll call.

Board President Michael Sarno (presiding) told the public the actions taken at the meeting represent “the first steps in addressing this matter,” and said he expected additional ramifications after further discussions in executive session. “I can assure you that every one of the nine board members here are angry, disappointed, and upset at the thought of any harm happening to any of our students,” Sarno said.

During public comment, speakers included current and former paraprofessionals, parents of children in the ACES program, clinicians and a student government representative. Several parents said they learned about classroom changes from other families or social media rather than from the district. One parent, Alicia Jankowski, said she learned that students from a closed classroom had been moved into other ACES classrooms without direct notice to families. The district confirmed that students from the affected classroom were relocated to other classrooms.

Administrators and the board addressed operational constraints raised by parents. Sarno and Dr. Latwos told the meeting that classroom cameras are constrained by the teachers’ collective‑bargaining agreement; the district has requested meetings with union representatives and scheduled a discussion about cameras for the coming Monday. Dr. Latwos said the district will expedite parent information sessions and will create an ad hoc board committee to serve as a liaison with the special‑education department and the ACES program, providing more frequent oversight and reporting to the community.

Multiple commenters called for broader accountability, including review of school‑level leadership and the district’s long‑term special‑education strategy. Outside experts at the meeting — including a board‑certified behavior analyst and the executive director of POEC Autism Services — offered pro‑bono training and consultation and urged the board to require staff credential checks, ongoing ethical training, and post‑incident debriefing and repair protocols for students.

The board’s personnel votes were recorded by roll call. The motions to dismiss (two separate motions) and the appointment/reassignment of Employee ID 5449 all passed unanimously. The board did not release employee names in open session and cited personnel‑matter confidentiality; the motion language recorded in the minutes described terminations as “effective immediately, termination of employment per district policy.”

The meeting closed with the board pledging to accelerate parent engagement and program review. Dr. Latwos said the district will hold parent sessions sooner than previously planned and the board will report back at future meetings with updates on training, staffing and program changes.