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Parents and students urge Ocean City board to reinstate teacher placed on leave
Summary
At public comment the Ocean City School District heard pleas to reinstate a theater teacher the district placed on administrative leave (agenda item J13); commenters cited the teacher’s role in student growth and extracurricular programs and urged the board to reject the leave.
Public commenters at the Ocean City School District board’s public-comment period urged the board to reinstate a teacher the district has placed on administrative leave, raising concerns about the district’s decision tied to agenda item J13.
Nina Maron, an Ocean City resident, alumna and parent, told the board the district posted a job opening for the Ocean City Intermediate School theater position and said the leave would disrupt students’ learning. “Please vote no to agenda item j 13,” Maron said, adding that the teacher has been “an exemplary educator” who ran drama club, chaperoned trips and supported many school activities.
Student Braden Roberts, who described himself as an Ocean City Intermediate School graduate and current high school student, said the teacher gave him early opportunities in productions that helped him find his voice. “This teacher taught me a lot about performing, but perhaps the most significant lesson was that my voice deserves to be heard,” Roberts said.
During a later public-comment turn Maron asked the board not to mention a specific name but nonetheless urged “support immediately reinstating mister Andrew Benfer as a fourth grade teacher,” citing his mentorship of students and community involvement.
The board did not respond to the public comments during the meeting aside from noting public-comment rules; the agenda roll-call later recorded at least one abstention specifically for J13 and at least one board member signaling a “no” on a related item. The transcript does not record the board making a public statement reversing the leave. The board proceeded with other routine business after public comment.
The comments to the board are constrained by the Open Public Meetings Act; if personnel or student matters require further conversation, the board directed commenters to meet with the chief school administrator after the meeting.
What’s next: agenda item J13 (the administrative-leave action referenced by speakers) remained part of the board’s roll-call items; the transcript shows members recording votes and abstentions on roll-call items but does not include a public reversal or reinstatement during this session.
