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. But for the audio tape, it would have been the student's word against the teacher's word. With the tape, the teacher cannot simply deny the statement was made but must defend the appropriateness of the statement under the circumstances. Was his statement taken out of context?
This story demonstrates the power of the internet. Although the local press including the Observer, Jersey Journal (including the Kearny Journal) and the Star Ledger all covered the story, it was the placement of the audio tape on the internet both by the Jersey Journal and the Observer that allowed individuals to hear for themselves the context and statements made by teacher Paszkiewicz. Without the internet, the reader would only have the newspapers interpretation of those statements. This has sparked a lively debate on discussion boards throughout the nation.
One question remains unanswered. What is the Kearny Board of Education members doing to address the LaClair / Paszkiewicz matter? 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).
Link to Audio Recordings.
Source: Kevin Canessa Blog,
Editor of the Observer
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