Teacher tells board student-safety concerns persisted despite repeated incidents

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, teacher Ellen Shroyer told the Moriarty-Edgewood School District board she had repeatedly reported safety and behavioral problems by one student and said the district’s response had not adequately prioritized other students’ safety.

Shroyer said the student had vandalized property and staff vehicles, brought a weapon to school and constructed makeshift weapons, used racial slurs and “grotesque obscenities” toward staff and students, and made threats of self-harm and harm to others. She said the student had generated dozens of discipline referrals (she cited “44 administrative discipline referrals”), spent multiple days in in-school and out-of-school suspension, and had caused loss of instructional time for classmates.

“It took 156 days for something to be done about this,” Shroyer said, urging the board to adopt earlier and more consistent interventions. She said she had emailed the principal, superintendent and director of personnel and that, in her view, the student-support system had not delivered sustained accountability. Shroyer said other teachers share her concerns but fear retaliation for speaking publicly.

Board members did not take public action on the specific case during the meeting; district officials stated the board would follow procedures and that personnel and student-discipline matters are handled through the district’s processes. Shroyer asked the board to take the matter seriously and to act before the situation escalates further.