Tensions are rising in a New Jersey school district after a police officer was called to attend a school board meeting where parents continued to campaign for the resignation of interim superintendent Nathan Parker.

Parker allegedly said he doesn’t mind racist teachers, according to the Montclair Local. The New Jersey Board of Education requested that Det. Pierre Falaise, also it’s resource officer, attend the February 19 BOE meeting after three previous meetings were recessed because parents were vocal in their requests for Parker to resign. Another meeting was adjourned altogether because of the parents' outcry. 

Montclair NAACP board member June Raegner accused the public school superintendent of saying that he does not have a problem with “teachers being racist,” as long as they keep their views out of the classroom in an October NAACP meeting. 

Montclair NAACP President Albert Pelham released a statement saying no audio recordings or minutes exist of that meeting, nor of the succeeding meeting in December at which Parker attempted to explain his remarks, Montclair Local reported. Pelham didn’t request the New Jersey BOE to ask for Parker’s resignation, but he did note that the organization had concerns regarding Parker’s remarks.

“While the NAACP has concerns about the alleged comments by Superintendent Parker, we have tremendous amount of respect of the leadership of the Board of Education and the NAACP would support whatever action the BOE wished to take regarding Parker. At this time, we are encouraging the Montclair BOE to continue their search for a new superintendent with all appropriate urgency,” Pelham said.

Parker claimed that his remarks were misinterpreted and were referring to bias in educational hiring practices at an NAACP meeting held on December 5. 

“What I attempted to speak about was the inevitable presence of bias in the school environment and how it can be addressed and reduced through strong educational systems and hiring practices. I do not support or condone racism in any form," Parker said." It is regrettable that my comments were heard to mean the opposite.”

The Montclair Local reports that at BOE meetings over the last four months, parents have repeatedly expressed for Parker to step down or be removed as superintendent.

Tempers seemed to boil over when the superintendent’s formal apology offended residents, stating he wasn’t racist because his family hired Black farmhands. Per usual with comments like this, community members and activists spoke louder about their goal to get him removed from his position at meetings. 

The BOE responded by calling Det. Falaise to attend the school board meeting on February 19, a response that seemed unusual to many parents. Several witnesses told the Montclair Local that they hadn’t seen a police officer at a meeting in more than 15 years.

“This is the first time a uniformed police officer has ever attended a meeting, and was working,” National Independent Black Parents’ Association Rep. Kellia Sweatt said. 

After Sweatt gave a stern rebuke of the school board, she was interrupted by an announcement informing her that she was near the end of the time limit imposed on public speakers. Although the next speaker wanted to allow Sweatt to continue speaking, the BOE president did not grant her extra time, and the officer stepped to the podium to tell Sweatt to sit, Tap Into reported.   

In the video, you can see that he followed Sweatt to her seat. Tap Into reports that he stationed himself there for the rest of the meeting.

“It is always stressful and fearful when you see a police officer approach a Black woman, or any woman, cause you never know how these things may turn out,” Sweatt said.

Despite public outcry, the BOE released a statement defending their decision to have a police officer attend the school meeting. 

“Given the escalating tension in the discourse at the past several meetings, this Board made the difficult decision to invite the school resource officer, an employee of the Montclair School district through the Montclair Police Department, to attend our sessions. This was a painful decision that was not made lightly. It was not intended to stifle public opinion, but to create and maintain an environment where differing opinions could be presented and discussed respectfully.”

Ironically, teachers and parents both took time earlier in the night to celebrate the Restorative Justice Initiative Program that is being implemented in the district. The program was established to teach effective conflict resolution employing mediation and agreements instead of discipline, police and punishment.