Ocean City Board Of Education Responds To Misconduct Allegations

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City Board of Education addressed allegations of misconduct against the high school’s administration during a board meeting on Wednesday.

Six Ocean City High School alumni detailed the allegations in an online petition last week, which contains more than 50 anonymous accounts of bullying, sexual abuse, and negligence that current and former students experienced while they attended the school.

The alumni are calling on the State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cape May County's Prosecutor's Office to investigate these allegations.

“We hear you and we commend you on exercising your right to free speech and the courage to petition to have allegations investigated further,” said Board of Education President Joseph Clark. “We have and will continue to fully cooperate, provide access to the police department and the County Prosecutor’s Office for any impending investigation."

Clark urged anyone with questions or information about the incidents to contact the Special Victims Unit of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135.

“While we can’t change the past, our district is committed to taking additional steps to build upon the programs, training, support and intervention services along with providing the necessary resources which we have put in place over the past decade to ensure enduring change,” Clark said.

He added that the district formed an ad-hoc committee on youth mental health to support student wellness in all Ocean City schools in 2015. Ocean City High School also received an AtlantiCare grant in December to launch a mental health club.

Former student Brianna Thomas, 24, of Ventnor, is one of the six students who co-authored the petition.

Thomas told Patch that the alumni behind the petition have graduated within the past five years, except for herself. Thomas dropped out of Ocean City High School due to bullying during the 2011-12 school year and earned her GED.

Thomas read a statement to the board during the public comment session of the meeting.

“I have been here before, and I walked away from that actually trusting that the new plans of the school board would protect students and encourage stricter enforcement of policies,” Thomas said. “I was 19 at that time. I am nearly 25 now. Following the school board meeting in 2015, Dr. Taylor stated in an email that my experience was one she would never want a student to have.”

Thomas had not previously addressed the school board about these issues, but after six years she felt it was necessary due to more recent allegations that were shared by current students.

“I am once again before you, with some information that is eerily similar to what I experienced in this school district, and some information that disgusts me and saddens me on an entirely new level. These students deserve better,” Thomas said.

The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean City Police Department are currently reviewing the allegations to determine their origins.

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