Schools

NJ Prosecutor Reprimands BOE President For Not Wearing Mask

The Middlesex Co. prosecutor sent a "stern" warning letter to the New Brunswick BOE president for not wearing a mask at an August meeting.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the state attorney general sent a "stern" warning letter to the president of the New Brunswick Board of Education after he did not wear a face mask at the board's Aug. 17 meeting.

Board President Dale Caldwell confirmed to Patch he received a letter from County Prosecutor Yolonda Ciccone telling him he has to wear a mask at all Board of Education meetings.

Gov. Phil Murphy's Executive Order 251 requires mask-wearing in all New Jersey public, private and parochial schools. This applies to not only students in class but also any after-school meetings or events held in school buildings, such as school board meetings.

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"I was seated six feet away from other Board members, well spaced apart and my mask was off while I was talking," said Caldwell.

He said he was mistaken not to wear the mask and he did not fully realize at the time he had to wear it indoors throughout the duration of the entire meeting.

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Caldwell said it was the editor/reporter of New Brunswick Today who first questioned him about why he wasn't wearing a mask. That same reporter contacted the office of acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck to report Caldwell was not wearing his mask.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to Patch that it sent the warning letter to Caldwell but declined to comment further.

The letter was signed by Bruck, as well as Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, NJ State Police Col. Patrick Callahan and Ciccone, New Brunswick Today reported. Read New Brunswick Today's original report on this, and you can read the prosecutor's letter: https://newbrunswicktoday.com/...

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