Parent Who Was Arrested At Jersey City School Meeting Heads To Court: See Result

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A Jersey City mom who was arrested at a school board meeting in May made her appearance in court on Tuesday and saw her controversial case dismissed.

Numerous supporters of Emily Pecot — who was removed from a Jersey City Board of Education meeting on May 21 after speaking about services for students with special needs — attended the hearing. The case was quickly dismissed.

Pecot referred questions from Patch to her attorney, Leo Hurley of Hackensack, who said he will comment on the dismissal later on Tuesday.

Mayor James Solomon said on Tuesday, “As elected officials and leaders of a school system, the Board of Education has a responsibility to listen to constituents — even if it is uncomfortable. Like all parents in Jersey City, Ms. Pecot wants what is best for your child and is using her time and voice to advocate for a better education for all. That is valuable work and deserves to be honored, not shunned.”

Pecot, the mother of a student on the autism spectrum, had spoken about services for special needs students as a member of the group Parents United for Special Education Reform.

In the months after the arrest, parents and local officials criticized the incident and the board's actions in general. Residents said the board has cut the amount of time parents are allowed to speak down to one minute, and have criticized the board's transparency.

Jersey Councilwoman Eleana Little posted on social media in May that after she wrote to School Board President Noemi Vazquez on Friday to address the arrest, Vazquez responded by saying Little had "avanger syndrome" (sic) and said, "Upon my return next week, I will be addressing your desire to reprimand and offer a corrective plan about an issue on which you are clueless."

Vazquez did not respond to a request for a comment from Patch on Tuesday about the dismissal.

'Congratulations,' Morris Says

But Board Vice President Deion Morris, who had requested the arrest — according to a police report obtained by Patch — said Tuesday, "Congratulations to her. I wish her nothing but continued success and all the best in her future endeavors."

The police report obtained by Patch showed that Perot was removed at the request of security director Rudy Snelling and from Morris, who also had served as a Jersey City police officer.

Read previous reporting on Jersey City Patch: Mom Addresses Her Arrest At Jersey City School Board Meeting

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