Parents, students and an attorney press Ocean Township board for clearer communication after OTIS shelter-in-place

Ocean Township Board of Education President opened the May meeting by saying the board takes "safety, security and student well‑being seriously" and asked Superintendent Weldon to clarify last week’s shelter‑in‑place at Ocean Township Intermediate School.

"I want to reiterate what I wrote in my letter. Our students' safety is and will always be our highest priority," Superintendent Weldon said, apologizing that "communication with family should have occurred sooner" and saying the administration is taking steps "to improve the timeliness and clarity of our messaging moving forward." She said there was "no ongoing security threat to the school" and described the shelter‑in‑place as a measure "to allow medical professionals to move quickly and safely to our nurse's office and to provide privacy to the individual receiving care."

The meeting’s public‑comment period was dominated by criticism of how the district and outside media handled the episode. Thomas DiCenio, who identified himself as legal counsel for two twins involved in the event, urged the community to "lower the temperature," accused a Patch reporter by name of fabricating elements of a story, and said juvenile matters are sealed so the reporter’s claim that police confirmed the facts was incorrect. DiCenio said online postings have led to threats against the students and their families and asked listeners to stop amplifying unverified coverage.

Several parents and community members said they learned about the incident through social media rather than from the district and described students returning home "scared" and without reassurance. "In a situation such as this, communication to parents should have been sent prior to students leaving for the day," said a parent who identified herself as Erin from Wayside. Another parent, Allison Oskon, described multiple communication gaps that left families confused about schedules, buses and grading and urged a community town hall.

Former board member and mental‑health professional Greysand Tallarico told the board that past bullying complaints had been ignored and called for data‑driven anti‑bullying policies, improved HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) processes and an ongoing committee of parents, teachers, counselors, police and students. "Change that I have advocated for since 2017," she said.

Student speaker Sam Fields, a high‑school senior, listed facility and student‑support concerns — including leaks, possible mold, rodent evidence and cuts to the child‑study team — and urged the board to hold administrators and teachers accountable when necessary.

Board members acknowledged the public concern and repeatedly praised the administration’s internal handling while accepting that external communication to families fell short. One member thanked Weldon for taking responsibility for gaps in external messaging and encouraged community partnership going forward.

Multiple parents asked the district to speak directly to students in the affected school "honestly, openly and without defensiveness" so that children feel safe reporting concerns. Several speakers proposed concrete next steps, including assemblies, student‑focused discussions, and a community town hall to involve parents, administrators and district leadership.

The board did not take formal disciplinary actions on the record at the meeting. It approved routine agenda items later in the session and said steps to improve communications and school‑climate work are underway; board members told the public that legal limits restrict what can be said about specific student cases.

The board’s next scheduled meeting is expected to revisit several items, and the administration said it will continue outreach to families, review communication protocols and pursue recommended improvements to HIB investigations and student supports.