Survivors and residents press Leonia Board over historic abuse cases after Rolling Stone article

Public commenters raised allegations of historic abuse and urged the Leonia Board of Education to take further action during the Oct. 14 meeting, citing a Rolling Stone article and ongoing litigation.

Dan Sliderman told the board that Rolling Stone had published an article titled “This Small Town Protected a Predator. Now His Survivors are Fighting Back,” and urged the board not to treat the issue as something to be swept under the rug. Sliderman said survivors were seeking a safe space to come forward and asked the district to respond publicly.

Nick Psaltos delivered a detailed personal account alleging grooming and abuse by a former teacher he identified as John (phonetic from transcript: Anagnosti). Psaltos described repeated episodes beginning in second grade, including off-campus excursions and what he said were grooming behaviors, and he described decades of familial and personal consequences he attributed to those events. Psaltos said he had pursued therapy for many years and urged the district and the community to recognize the harms survivors endure.

Another speaker, Mike Gonzales, asked the board how the district planned to reach possible victims after he said he had become aware of a new lawsuit that alleged abuse in a trauma class by a former teacher (name referenced in public comment as Abedon). Gonzales urged the district to reach out to survivors and to review hiring and background‑check practices.

Board President Lee acknowledged receipt of the Rolling Stone article and asked that it be sent to the superintendent and the board for review. Lee said the allegations discussed in public comment relate to incidents that occurred many years ago and that some matters are the subject of ongoing litigation; for that reason the board could not comment publicly on active cases. The president said the board takes student safety seriously, called the issues “terrible” and said the board’s limited public comments were driven by legal constraints rather than indifference.

Several commenters said the community still suffers long‑term consequences from the events they described and urged the board to be more active in outreach and in creating space for survivors. The board reiterated its duty to the current student body and staff and said it would not tolerate abuse in the present-day district; it asked the superintendent to alert the board immediately if staff became aware of any current allegations.