Wrong Answers
Dear Editor:
I went to the Board of Education meeting
on Monday, September 12th, hoping that I could make
sense of what
my Middle School child had told me about videotaping
in her school and what my husband and I had witnessed
at the High School that morning. I wanted the right
answers.
Here's the backdrop. My daughter came
home from school on Friday, Sept. 9th and mentioned
that Mr.
Strickler had been at her school that day with his
video camera. When I questioned her, she told me that
he was taping students as they got off the buses in
the morning and between classes in the hallway of the
annex that is always very congested. She said the kids
thought Mr. Strickler was doing something for the yearbook,
so they all crowded in to get their pictures taken.
On the following Monday morning, my husband and I
were in the main office at the High School when Superintendent
Brodow came in with Mr. Strickler who was sporting
his video camera. They stood 10 to 15 feet away from
us and openly talked about the plans for videotaping
the students and staff at the HS. I heard them discuss
what areas would be crowded, the technique Mr. Strickler
would use in leading student and staff interviews,
and cutting off the interviewees if they got off track.
They also mentioned that Dr. Brodow would respond to
any calls or e-mails and that Mr. Strickler should
not attend the BOE meeting that evening.
At the BOE meeting, Board member Josh Scharf called
attention to the videotaping and expressed his dismay
that students' images could possibly be distributed
to Internet sites or other locations beyond Millburn
Township without the students' (or their parents')
knowledge or permission. Dr. Brodow admitted that he
didn't know how the film would be distributed.
My sense of concern for our students' safety
and freedom from exploitation was further heightened
when, in response to a question from a former board
member, Dr. Brodow stated that, if requested, he would
also give another outside group permission to videotape
in the schools.
Board attorney, Rod Hara, showed up
a bit later in the evening and he explained that it
was within the
Board’s guidelines for the Superintendent, in
his discretion, to allow a private individual to go
into our schools to tape and that it was appropriate
for a school official to accompany the individual.
In response, Jeffrey Diecidue read aloud a New Jersey
Statute that prohibits school officials from requesting
or directing students to participate in any activity
that promotes or tends to promote a candidate, bond
referendum or public question.
Concerned parents then
asked Dr. Brodow who was responsible for the filming,
who paid for it, what was his personal
involvement and was he in any way directing the videotaping.
He answered that, as far as he knew, it was the individual
Dan Strickler who was responsible for the filming,
that he didn't know who, if anyone, was behind
Mr. Strickler, and that, aside from being interviewed,
he had no involvement. At that point, I informed the
Board that my husband and I had been at the High School
that morning and had witnessed the conversation between
Dr. Brodow and the videographer. Clearly, Dr. Brodow
was intimately involved in the filming.
We certainly
got the wrong answers from the Superintendent that
evening. What he failed to recognize is the fact
that even if the Board attorney, based on a narrow
set of facts, advises that the taping of students for
a pro-bond or anti-bond film is legal or permissible,
it is neither right nor wise.
This video should never
be released. It is a gross manipulation of children
and staff. Pursuing a controversial
building program is one thing; manipulating our children
toward this goal is quite another. It is completely
wrong, and anyone involved should be held accountable.
Millburn Board of Ed — do your job and revoke
the "purported
consent".
Sincerely,
Elizabeth A. O’Brien
