Fallen Middletown Police Officer's Sister Takes Issue With BLM

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — It wasn't all love at the Spread Love, Not Hate march held June 28 in the Middletown High School North parking lot.

The rally and march down Tindall Road was part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and coincided with marches against police brutality nationwide in June. The Middletown march was organized mostly by local high school students and attracted hundreds. Middletown Police Chief R. Craig Weber even spoke.

But at least one local woman said she was very disturbed by some of the signs from the day.

Photos from the march showed one person holding a poster that read "ACAB," which stands for All Cops Are Bad or All Cops Are Bastards. Another read F12, which is code for F*** the police; another depicted a duck-like symbol of the Antifa movement.

Another sign read "Cops are Murderers," according to Middletown native Laurie Tietjen, who was present at the march.

Laurie and her brother, Ken Tietjen, grew up in Middletown; she just recently moved to Colts Neck. Ken was working as a Port Authority police officer in Manhattan on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. He was stationed in Midtown when the first plane hit, but raced down to the WTC, even commandeering a yellow taxi to get there. Ken ran into the burning North Tower to help people escape; he then grabbed the only remaining breathing mask from his partner and ran into the South Tower. Moments after he disappeared inside, the tower collapsed. Ken's body was never recovered.

He and Laurie both graduated from Middletown North, where the rally was held. He was living in Matawan when he was killed.

Laurie said when she sees signs like that, she views it as hate speech. And due to the content of those signs, she doesn't think Middletown Board of Education funds should have been used for the march, in terms of the portable bathrooms, a stage, sound system, security and electricity that was provided.

"I was shocked and appalled to see those signs, and even more shocked to see signs like that on school property," she told Patch. "I had even reached out in advance and was told it was an event to remove lines between both sides and create unity. That’s why I went. It was the opposite. It was very sad. And our cops had to just stand there and take it. Not OK to be going on at our schools."

In the days before it happened, the Spread Love, Not Hate march was advertised on both the North and South school websites. It was also advertised on the electronic banner in front of Middletown South.

Tietjen launched a petition, asking the Middletown school district and Board of Education to publicly denounce those signs in particular. So far, only Board member Robin Stella has done so.

Tietjen said she will also be filing a formal ethics complaint with the state Department of Education; her main issue is that the march was held on school grounds and that Middletown BOE money was spent on the march.

She also wants any teacher who saw those signs and did not say something to be disciplined, and she would like Middletown schools superintendent Dr. Bill George to be censured for his role in helping to coordinate the march to take place at the high school. Dr. George did not attend the march.

She presented the petition Monday night to the Middletown Township Committee, Mayor Tony Perry, Board of Education and the superintendent. (Here's the petition: https://www.change.org/p/people-who-believe-school-should-be-a-safe-envirnoment-for-all-students-we-will-not-allow-hate-of-any-kind-in-our-schools?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_23531224_en-US%3A0&recruiter=875499782&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=petition_dashboard)

Tietjen takes particular issue with Middletown Board of Ed. president Pam Rogers. Rogers coordinated email chains between the school district, Mayor Perry and Middletown police regarding logistics to allow the June 28 march to happen.

Rogers has also said she wants the Spread Love, Not Hate march to be an annual event in Middletown.

When talking to Patch, Rogers emphasized that she is speaking for herself, not the entire Board.

"The kids came to us and asked if they could do it on the high school football field. We said they would have to pay for insurance. They wanted to use the Township stage; they were told they would have to pay rent," said Rogers. "That was when Dr. George said it would be OK for them to use the (North) parking lot. It was us just trying to help the kids out."

"It is such a shame that this march and people like myself are being labeled anti-cop. Nothing could be further from the truth," Rogers told Patch this week. "At the end of the march, I thanked our police. The kids who ran the march bought lunch for the police and security guards. It was a beautiful event. On a personal note, I was in Manhattan on 9/11. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for our first responders, including Mrs. Tietjen's brother. I am so very sorry for her loss."

She continued:

"My family and I understand that the Black Lives Matter movement is not just about police reform. The Black Lives Matter Movement is about the idea that a black life should be equal to a white life in America. I support that idea. I also support our police department. Many Middletown families feel the same. Quite a few of these families were present that day."

"Unfortunately, in the weeks that followed, Mrs. Tietjen found pictures of a couple of ACAB signs from the march. To be honest, I didn’t know of that organization and had not heard what they stand for until Mrs. Tietjen pointed those signs out. I, personally, would not hold that sign."

"But, people do have a right to express themselves," Rogers continued. "The march and rally were held in the parking lot at High School North, but the board did not organize the rally. Again, Spread Love, Not Hate ran the march. The individuals from this group did not know about the ACAB signs either, as far as I know."

Superintendent George said he too was not aware of those specific signs until afterwards.

"It is my perspective that the acts of this small group did not reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of rally participants, who have been portrayed as respectful, peaceful and exemplifying a strong social conscience," he said this week.

"Unfortunately, election season is coming up and I’m up for re-election. I believe that this anti-cop narrative is an effort to take me down, politically," said Rogers. "I hope that Mrs. Tietjen’s efforts to smear my name do not take away from the beauty of the Spread Love, Not Hate unity march."

Tietjen participated in the Back the Blue march in support of police this past Saturday in Middletown, which about 400 people attended.

"It was a wonderful, feel-good event. No negativity — just full of appreciation," said Tietjen. "The main sentiment was that supporting police and the black community is not mutually exclusive."

Related: Police Chief, Students Speak At Middletown Social Justice March (June 29)

Hundreds Ask Middletown Schools To Begin 'Anti-Racist' Curriculum (June 19, 2020)

Middletown Valedictorian: I Survived Years Of Race Discrimination (June 11, 2020)

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