A Discussion With Packanack Parents 'Would Not Be Appropriate' Now, Superintendent Says

WAYNE, N.J. — School and district officials are continuing their investigation into allegations of abuse at Packanack Lake Elementary School and will share information with parents when the time is right, authorities said.

A preschool teacher at the school was suspended June 8 after parents claim she allegedly locked one student, and possibly another, in a bathroom as a form of punishment. Students were told that the teacher was sick.

A school parent said they were not informed about the alleged abuse until Monday — four weeks after it occurred and from a state investigator who visited their homes.

Related: Wayne Teacher Accused Of Locking Preschool Student In Bathroom, Parent Says

Superintendent Mark Toback said that "a few more important steps" needs to be taken before a "final determination" regarding the abuse is made.

"Every situation where abuse is alleged must be fully investigated because in the end, there may be no findings and allegations may not be substantiated," Toback said. He noted that the district "must protect the employee and maintain confidentiality until or if a time comes when it is possible to share information."

"We are nowhere near that point and certainly a discussion with the parents of the Packanack Lake School would not be appropriate," Toback said.

All nine Board of Education members did not respond to a request for comment.

School officials are required to report all abuse allegations to the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP). Once the matter is handed over to that agency, the district's involvement often ends, Toback said, because "additional involvement by school employees may compromise an investigation."

"There is the possibility of witness tampering, coercion, and other efforts to cover up illegal activity," Toback said. "No prosecutor would want their investigation compromised and likewise, no professional DCPP investigator wants their investigation compromised."

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