Chatham Parent Charged With Trespassing At High School: Police

CHATHAM, NJ — A man was arrested after entering Chatham High School on Friday and going on a tirade with complaints about the school district's curriculum on racism, according to township police. Robert Vessechia was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing after becoming "verbally abusive" and refusing to leave the premises, said Police Chief Thomas Miller.

The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. Friday. The high school students already left for the day, but the Lafayette School nextdoor conducted a lockdown during the incident.

School security advised Vessechia several times to leave the premises, police said. School personnel alerted police about the incident, and officers reiterated to Vessechia — a parent — that they didn't want him on the premises, according to authorities. He refused several requests to voluntarily leave school property, police said.

"No threats were ever made by Mr. Vessechia, nor was there any physical altercation," Chatham Township Police Lt. Chris Slayton told Patch. "Mr. Vessechia used extensive and loud profanity, and refused repeated police requests to leave the school grounds after being told he was not wanted there, resulting in his eventual arrest."

Board Meeting

Vessechia spoke at April 26's Board of Education meeting to criticize the district's teachings about racism.

"What I’m about to say might offend some people, and quite frankly, I really don’t care," he said, "because I’m a person that this town believes is a racist."

Vessechia spoke about interracial violence and said the greatest problem facing Black Americans is father absence.

(Black fathers are more likely than their white counterparts to have bathed, dressed, diapered or helped their children use the toilet every day, according to a Centers for Disease Control study often cited to dispel the stereotype of absent Black fatherhood. While statistics show Black fathers are less likely to have married their child mother's than white and Hispanic dads, many continue to parent through cohabitation, visitation and financial support, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.)

Vessechia didn't get to specific issues about the school's curriculum in his allotted time at the school board meeting. Board President Jill Critchley Webber asked him repeatedly whether he was bringing forth a school issue.

Vessechia said he's a volunteer firefighter but did not say for which department.

Watch the clip here:

Youth Football Background Info

The Chatham football website lists Vessechia and Chatham Borough Mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz as coaches for a the Raiders' fourth- and fifth-grade flag football team.

Kobylarz volunteered as an assistant coach in fall 2018, when his son played for the team. Vessechia was head coach. Kobylarz and Vessechia had no contact before or since that football season, the mayor says.

"He seemed like a nice guy who enjoyed coaching the kids and spending time with his son," Kobylarz told Patch. "I was sorry to read the recent news articles about him. Based on his statements before the Chatham Board of Education last week, I do not share his expressed or implied views on race or racism."

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