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Politics & Government

Students Pack BOE Meeting To Protest Alleged Treatment of Theatre Director

Superintendent, Ohaus explain the reasons behind her unexpected resignation and her return to Hoboken High School.

The nine members of the Hoboken Board of Education debated issues before a rare audience at their regular meeting Tuesday night: a room overflowing with Hoboken High School students and alumni.

The students were there for more than three hours to protest the alleged treatment of their beloved theatre director Paula Ohaus last week after claiming to feel "harrassed," only to Tuesday.

Before the students were invited to speak, Superintendent Mark Toback began the meeting with an explanation of the events leading up to Ohaus' resignation, including a meeting he had with the director, her union representative and Assistant Superintendent Walter Rusak.

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At the meeting, Toback said he presented Ohaus with a list of "concerns" including  her violation of a policy that prohibits non-district students and students at Hoboken's charter and private schools from participating in extra-curricular activities at the public high school.

Ohaus, who was present at the meeting Tuesday night, said she had not been made aware of the new policy until just before the school's recent production of "Hairspray" was set to open in March. She also described the sit-down with Rusak and Toback as "more like an inquisition than a meeting."

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While board members spent much of the evening arguing and often shouting over the policy—the policy was adopted unanimously in December—the issue addressd by current and past students stemmed from concerns raised about Ohaus' personal relationships with them.

Toback said he also confronted the director about reports of driving students in her car, inviting them to sleep over at her house and the involvement of other adults in the play, including Hoboken High School alumni, who had not received required background checks.

"These are serious issues," Toback said, adding that it spoke to a "general issue of liability."

"Another theme is responsibility and accountability," he said.

Liz Markevitch’s 15-year-old daughter was among roughly 25 members of the "" cast who stayed overnight at Ohaus’ home in Westfield over President’s Day weekend.

“I felt wonderful about it,” said Markevitch, who explained that Ohaus had spoken to her prior to the event and even invited her and other parents to attend.

"It’s like being invited to Westminster Palace and the queen invites you because Paula is the queen," Markevitch said. "She makes the most normal things an exciting experience."

"A lot of our kids, they never have that opportunity," Ohaus said.

Board member Ruth McAllister said she was “in shock” to learn about the sleepover.

"It is about protecting the district," she said. "And this is not an appropriate practice. Nor is having them in the car. These are just things we have to abide by as professionals."

With prestigious local theatre awards and posters from past productions hanging on the wall adjacent to them, students and alumni described a teacher who addresses the needs of students extending beyond the classroom.

"Taking us to college visits, helping us with applications, anything we need, she's there for us," said sophomore Ariel Cruz, 16, to the board. "And that is something I'd like to commend because at the end of the day, we do not know everyone's individual situation, but not everyone has a mother or father to go to."

Hoboken High School alumna Namibia Donadio-Mejia, 24, is now studying for her masters in educational theatre at New York University and met the director of her new program at Ohaus' home.

"I do understand as a new educator myself that there's a thin line between what is personal and what is (professional)," Donadio-Mejia said. "When I got an award and my parents were unable to be there, it was Mrs. Ohaus who was there to take me to dinner."

"This is a family-like environment that is created and I've spoken to children and they come from disadvantaged environments and no one has taken them to their really nice houses and treated them like family," Markevitch said. "I think the community should be doing this more."

Following his meeting with Ohaus and Rusak, Toback spoke with students at the high school and approached the director about rescinding her resignation. It is not clear how Ohaus and the superintendent plan to address the concerns raised in the meeting going forward.

"I believe that it is possible to have a more cohesive environment between the board, the superintendent, the administration and the teachers," Ohaus said.

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