Controversy Surrounding Principal Kohaut
In March, 2009 Assistant Principal Richard Panas charged that Principal Donald Kohaut had been covering up the number of violent incidents at the school, claiming that at least 80 incidents of violence had not been reported to the state as required by state law. The New Jersey State Department of Education launched a probe into the conditions at the school due to Panas' claims. The probe discovered that while school officials did not properly report the incidents, the failure to do so was due to a lack of communication and was not deliberate.
In May, 2009 Kohaut came under fire for physically removing two pages containing the poem Diary Of An Abusive Stepfather from the book Paint Me Like I Am after a student's parent complained. Kohaut answered criticism about his vandalizing the book instead of just removing it by saying that he wanted students to still be able to read the other poems included in the book.
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