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Parent asks district to clarify communication about pepper-spray incident; superintendent says PTA was not tasked
Summary
A parent asked the Weehawken Board to confirm whether the PTA was asked to send parent notices about a pepper-spray incident at Daniel Webster; Superintendent Eric Crespo told the board the PTA was never tasked with communications and that such notifications are the district's responsibility.
During public comment at the March 10 Weehawken Board of Education meeting, an online commenter asked the district to clarify a rumor that the PTA was tasked with sending an email to parents about a pepper-spray incident at Daniel Webster Elementary School.
Kathleen Clancy of 518 Gregory Ave (submitted by email on 2/11/2025) asked the board to confirm who is responsible for messaging after a safety incident. She wrote in part: "Please clarify a rumor about the PTA being tasked with sending out an email regarding the pepper spray incident that occurred on school property at Daniel Webster. Surely any statement involving a safety incident in which the police were called and security measures enacted is the responsibility of the district and school administrations to communicate to parents, and in a timely fashion.. That does not fall under the purview of the PTA."
Superintendent Eric Crespo read the comment during the meeting and responded that the commenter was correct, stating the PTA was never tasked with sending any information regarding the pepper-spray incident and that communications about such safety incidents are the responsibility of the district and school administration, per his remarks in the minutes.
The minutes record the comment and the superintendent's reply; they do not include additional detail about the timing of district communications, specific security measures taken, police reports, or follow-up actions.
