Community News
Matthew LaClair / David Paszkiewicz Story
November 26, 2006. The Matthew LaClair / David Paszkiewicz story has gotten a lot of attention not only in West Hudson but throughout the nation. KOTW has experienced increased traffic as a result.
According to the Observer, Kearny High School teacher David Paszkiewicz is a "rather popular history teacher and girls' crew coach at Kearny High School." The debate over teacher David Paszkiewicz' statements has been interesting.
On the KOTW Discussion Board, many have focused not on what teacher Paszkiewicz stated but rather on how the student Mathhew LaClair obtained those statements. Some have suggested that it was improper to record the teacher. Apparently, Paszkiewicz denied he made comments such as "you belong in hell" until he was confronted with the audio tape.
KOTW: In The News
December 2, 2006. This week marked a first in KOTW's history. KOTW was mentioned directly in an article entitled Don't Get Sick this week in the Observer. The article reported on the announced cut backs in Mobile Intensive Care units serving Kearny and other neighboring towns.
On November 21st, a post entitled "Paramedics closing down, news" alerted the KOTW community to the cutbacks in service. It was apparently also the first that Kearny town officials learned of the cut backs.
Round Two: LaClair / Paszkiewicz
December 19, 2006. It took a New York Times article to turn the tide on the posts supporting Kearny High School teacher David Paszkiewicz.. Ironically, the Kearny Board of Education met this past Monday just as the tide of support shifted. The Kearny Board of Education members missed the boat a long time ago that would have nipped this issue in the butt. They did no better on Monday night.
The publication of an article in the New York Times has brought the focus of the nation and the world on Kearny, New Jersey. The question still remains the same "What are the members of the Kearny Board of Education doing to address this issue? Kearny residents and the rest of the nation (and now the world) are waiting for an appropriate proceeding to determine whether there was a violation of conduct by the teacher and/or student and the appropriate discipline (if any)."
The founder of this website envisioned a place where individuals could come and exchange ideas affecting their community. It is our policy to error on the side of allowing everyone to express their view. If there is an inappropriate comment or an error in logic, our members usually balance out the post by posting an opposite view or pointing out the error. The anti-LaClair posts appear on the pages of the Discussion Board are a result of that policy. The pro-LaClair posts now outweigh the anti posts. Our policy works.
Kearny Teacher Controversy Subject of New York Times Article
December 18, 2006. In an article entitled 'Talk in Class Turns to God, Setting Off Public Debate on Rights', New York Times reporter Tina Kelley presents the many sides of the debate centering around Kearny High School's history teacher David Paszkiewicz and his student Matthew LaClair. The article is sure to renew interest on this heated issue and bring national attention to Kearny. The New York Times article mentions statements made in the Observer and on KearnyOnTheWeb.com. If it was not clear before, it is time that the Kearny Board of Education members take action. As previously stated, "Kearny residents and the rest of the nation are awaiting an appropriate proceeding to determine whether there was a violation of conduct by the teacher and/or student and the appropriate discipline (if any).
Read more: Kearny Teacher Controversy Subject of New York Times Article
Record Week for KOTW
December 23, 2006. This week began with 32 individuals logged into the Discussion Board at 1 a.m. on Monday morning. Something was up because 1 a.m. is usually pretty slow for the KOTW Discussion Board. A quick Google search revealed why so many were visiting KOTW: the New York Times had mentioned KearnyOnTheWeb.com in an article about the LaClair/Paszkiewicz controversy.
The Monday morning traffic was only the tip of the iceberg. What followed was a monumental storm of posts.
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