Resident alleges inaction after HIV investigation during public comment

The board read a virtual public comment from Jody Fernandez of Augusta, N.J., in which Fernandez asked how the district handles discipline when an HIV investigation is ruled unfounded but disciplinary concerns remain and stated that in her experience the district provided no follow-up contact or code-of-conduct steps.

"How is discipline handled when an HIV is ruled unfounded, but there is still noted disciplinary concern?" Fernandez asked in the submitted comment. She added, "we never once heard from this HIV contact and there was no code of conduct follow-up. It was complete inaction by the school." The chair read both bullets of the submission and noted there was nothing the board could comment on publicly regarding the matter during the meeting.

The comment was presented as a submitted virtual comment; no district response was recorded on the public record at the meeting. The board did not discuss or take action on the allegations during the session.