Watch: Secaucus High Principal, Daughter Angrily Confront BOE

SECAUCUS, NJ — The principal of Secaucus High School, who is still suspended pending an investigation into how he handled an incident in which a high school student was found with pot and a knife last month, defended himself at a May 10 meeting of the Secaucus Board of Education.

Dr. Robert Berckes, or Dr. Bob as he's called around town, is a local chiropractor who runs an office out of his home on Flanagan Way. He directed most of his anger towards the Board of Education and Secaucus Superintendent Jennifer Montesano, who made the decision to suspend him.

"Being born and raised in this town, and hearing so many people express concern over what's going on, I feel it's time to make a statement," said Dr. Bob. "Why have I been suspended? I have been hurt by these actions. I would like my suspension to be discussed in public and I would like a public apology."

His daughter, Kristyl Berckes, went even further, calling the Board corrupt and saying people would remember this on election day.

Some people in Secaucus feel so strongly in support of Dr. Bob — and are so upset the incident has escalated this way — that they launched a Change.org petition demanding he be reinstated: https://www.change.org/p/secau...

As Patch reported, Dr. Bob and Assistant Secaucus High Principal Jeffrey Case were suspended in mid-April, with pay, after a student at the high school was found with a small pocket knife and marijuana.

Dr. Bob told the Board of Ed. that when the student was found with the knife, since it was not used to threaten anyone or shown to any other students, it was deemed not to be a weapon. He, Case, Montesano and the police officer assigned to the high school all agreed the boy would be suspended for two days.

Minutes later, the vice principal said he found marijuana in the boy's shoe. Everyone agreed his suspension would be increased to five days. At that time the police officer said the teen would not be charged, since that state wants to "help kids rather than give them criminal records," Berckes said.

The police officer decided to flush the marijuana down the toilet, Dr. Bob said. He said Montesano was aware the pot would be dispensed with.

But the next day, Dr. Bob said Montesano told both him and the police officer that she was very upset the marijuana had been destroyed in such a manner.

The police officer has been assigned away from the high school and was reprimanded by the department for that decision, Patch was told.

Montesano reportedly even called in the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to investigate, although it is not clear if they are. Montesano said in a statement to NJ.com that "a thorough investigation will lead to a just decision."

Dr. Bob has been the principal of Secaucus High School for the past eight years.

"I miss my students and staff terribly," summed up Dr. Bob. "Since my tenure we have entered the Top 100 high schools in the state in New Jersey Monthly not once, but twice. Our test scores and AP are significantly up, and we have SAT scores above average. I truly believe the superintendent is out to damage my reputation. She has embarrassed me, the town and the Secaucus school system by her reckless and spiteful actions."

His daughter had some choice words for the Board of Ed. next.

"I'm a little concerned that you would suspend a principal and vice principal without listening to their story," said Kristyl, who clearly appeared emotional and near tears. "You don't get to ruin careers because you don't like someone. You don't get to ruin lives because you don't like someone. You don't get to smear reputations around town and in the press because you don't like someone. I ask that the students and parents of Secaucus be the judge of this."

The next Secaucus Board of Education meeting is tomorrow night, Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m. Patch will be covering it live.