Bayonne employee says she was sidelined after reporting sexual harassment, asks board to restore assignments

Vanessa Marco, a Bayonne School District employee who said she has worked for the district since 2012 as a bus aide, attendance officer and part-time security guard, told the Board of Education she reported sexual harassment through the district’s policy in June 2024 and that her complaint was investigated.

“I respectfully believe that the limitations on my assignments are retaliation,” Marco told the board during public comment, describing a reduction in overtime hours and repeated denials of security and chaperone assignments she said she previously received and was specifically requested for by staff. She said her position was recategorized under school safety and that new overtime guidelines were implemented after the complaint. Marco said she filed a lawsuit on Feb. 3, 2025.

Marco said she returned from a brief medical leave on Sept. 3 with full medical clearance and that, despite her supervisor’s approval, she had not been submitted for assignment approval because she is not a daytime security guard. She also said she had seen comparable chaperone assignments approved for other employees without being posted, and that she was not considered for those assignments.

The employee asked the board to ensure there is no retaliation and to approve her for security and chaperone work “just like everyone else.” The board did not announce any immediate action in response during the meeting; the item was presented as public comment and no formal remediation or vote was recorded on the floor that evening.

The account Marco presented combines personnel, employment-practices and alleged misconduct claims. The board’s public meeting transcript shows her statements and requests; the district did not provide a response on the record during the meeting. Any formal investigation, administrative remedy or litigation outcomes were not detailed in the meeting record.