PA Bill Number: HB1661
Title: Further providing for schedules of controlled substances; and providing for secure storage of xylazine.
Description: Further providing for schedules of controlled substances; and providing for secure storage of xylazine. ...
Last Action: Act No. 17 of 2024
Last Action Date: May 15, 2024
Watch video of anti-gun control project that got student suspended :: 09/29/2016
MANVILLE — The assignment last April was for students to come up with an election topic that would provoke discussion in the class, said Frank Harvey.
Frank Harvey (Dave Hutchinson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Harvey, then a junior at Manville High School, decided to pick the topic of anti-gun control, he said. He put together an impressive video presentation that earned him an "A" on the project, he said.
But Tuesday, Harvey, a senior, was suspended from Manville High School and ordered to undergo a psychological exam for that same project. His teacher, Rachel Gottfried, has denied giving her College and Career Readiness class the assignment and approving his topic, he said.
"She said my project would be perfectly fine," said Harvey, "I presented the video to the class and took a few questions from my classmates. My presentation went over well. The whole idea of the assignment was to expose students to an idea they hadn't considered before.
"What the response of the school tells me is that I'm allowed to do my school work as long as it agrees with their point of view on an issue."
Manville school officials said Harvey must undergo a five-hour psychological evaluation before he will be allowed back at the school, said his mother, Mary Vervan. She said she will not subject her son to such an evaluation for no reason.
Manville school superintendent Anne Facendo said the district is unable to respond because of federal and state student privacy laws and feels that Harvey and his mother are benefiting by putting out a one-sided account of what happened.
"We believe the student's family is aware of this, and are taking advantage of those laws to publicize a blatantly false, one-sided account of what occurred," Facendo said in a statement. "Under their version of events, the student was given a disciplinary suspension for merely completing a school project assigned by his teacher that expressed an unpopular viewpoint, then was required to disenroll from the district.
"These claims are false, and we are confident that the evidence will support the district's position. The district is especially disheartened at the unfair personal attacks leveled by the family at our dedicated staff, who reacted to the actual events with professionalism and concern for the welfare of this student and others in the school community. We have nothing more to say on the matter at this time, but could not let the family's vicious personal attacks go unanswered."
On Tuesday afternoon, Harvey turned in his books and was given a school withdrawn form to sign, he said. School officials didn't meet with him or his mother to discuss the situation and perhaps arrive at a different outcome, he said.
Then, on Wednesday morning, Ebony Williams, an official from the Somerset Child Services stopped by Harvey's home in what his mother said was a retaliatory act by the school and harassment for her going public with the situation.
Williams didn't return a phone call seeking comment.
"I'm disappointed that this has become an issue," said the soft-spoken Harvey. "I'm not a violent person. I've never been in trouble in my life. I'm surprised my project is being considered such a horrible thing. Everyone I've spoken to feels the same way. They see my point entirely. I cleared the topic with the teacher.
"There were other students who did presentations for and against gun control. To my knowledge, none of them got suspended or got kicked out of school."
Manville school superintendent Anne Facendo declined comment, saying in an email that "State and Federal law prohibits the school district from making comment on any issue pertaining to confidential student information."
Gottfried hasn't spoken to Harvey or his mother regarding her denial of issuing the assignment, the family said.
"I don't understand why I'm being disciplined for following the instructions of my teacher and no one else is," said Harvey.
Harvey said he produced a video that provided examples of people who used guns to defend themselves from home invaders. His video also displayed anti-gun-control political cartoons, he said.
The teenager ran into trouble when he mistakenly left the thumb drive with the project on it in a computer in the school library. Someone found it on Monday and turned it over to the school administration, who then contacted police.
Mother accuses school of retaliation
Mother of senior at Manville High School says she and her son are being harassed for no reason.
"The Manville police cleared my son," said Vervan. "They looked at his presentation and found nothing wrong."
Manville police chief Mark Peltak did not return several calls seeking comment.
Harvey is now spending his days studying at home for his GED, he said. He hopes to earn his GED by the end of the year and being taking some college courses on line in January, he said.
Vervan she is contemplating hiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit against the school district.
"I don't think this is right," said Harvey. "I was just following the instructions of my teacher and now she doesn't want to admit to it. I don't understand. If she would just say she gave the class the assignment there wouldn't be a problem.
"It's very disappointing I won't be able to complete my senior year and graduate with my friends."
Vervan said she wants a public apology from the school and have all derogatory remarks concerning this issue stricken from her son's records.
"If the police doesn't think there was a problem, why is the school taking these extreme actions and harassing us with child services?" said Vervan. "I don't understand why they're doing this."
