Parent tells Bayonne school board the varsity baseball coach fostered 'toxic culture,' urges action

A Bayonne parent told the Board of Education on Monday evening that her son has been targeted by what she described as a "toxic culture" in the high‑school varsity baseball program and requested board intervention so he can play his senior season.

"My name is Tisha Mateo," the parent said during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. She said she has raised the issue repeatedly and that "I'm not gonna stop until there's justice." Mateo asked the board to grant a waiver so her son could "enjoy his, twelfth grade in baseball." She accused the varsity coach of creating a climate in which students who complain face retaliation: "This is perpetrated behavior by the varsity baseball coach that everybody knows about."

Mateo said the district recorded no HIBs (Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying reports) in the prior matter and emphasized that HIBs "are not just reported by parents" but can also be filed by staff, pointing board members to an online reporting form she described as the district's "338 form." She described the situation as having hurt her son's mental health and warned trustees that, without corrective action, "more incidents will happen" and that bullying can worsen student suicide risk.

Board members thanked Mateo for her comments; the public‑comment period ended without a recorded response or formal action on her request during the meeting. The board approved several routine agenda items earlier in the session and continued with the published agenda after public comment.

Mateo's remarks were made during the public‑comment portion of the Bayonne Board of Education meeting held in the Anna J. Herbert Meeting Room; the board did not announce a follow‑up investigation or personnel action on the record during the meeting.