Belleville School District Faces Lawsuit, Abuse Claims: Report

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville School District is facing a lawsuit from a student who claims that they were abused by a district employee who is now in jail, a report says.

The Belleville School District has hired a Whippany-based law firm to defend it against the allegations of negligent and intentional damage, NorthJersey.com reported Sunday.

A municipal resolution appointing the firm says that a high school English teacher, four school officials, a former police chief and a social worker at the high school are named in the lawsuit, the report stated.

According to NorthJersey.com, the resolution names Belleville teacher Patrick V. Brown, Superintendent Richard Tomko, Special Services Supervisor Michael Vargas, Director of Special Services Ryan Kline, Belleville High School Principal Russell Pagano, Assistant Principal Joseph Lepo, former Police Chief Joseph Rotonda, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Daniel Sanacore, and school district social worker Francis Petrillo.

Read the full report here.

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