A former North Bergen High School teacher made bold accusations regarding the role politics play in the school, but allies of Mayor Nick Sacco have since countered the claims made in the video interview, claiming the teacher is “facing formal charges” as a result of her allegations.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The April 20th interview, where it is unclear who the interviewer is, has Sarah Guillen claim that the politics which exist in NBHS caused her to leave the school after the 2012-2013 school year. She adds that she now teaches French in an unnamed New York City school.
In the video, she says she began working at NBHS in February 2011 and is “outraged” with election-related “propaganda” touting the accomplishments of the school district.
While she called the students in the AP French program, which she was teaching at the time, “amazing,” she added that it didn’t matter because “all that mattered was politics.”
Guillen goes on to state she was forced to buy tickets to political fundraisers, as well as to knock on doors during elections, in order to remain in good standing within the school.
Additionally, she alleges that supervisors were never in school on election days because they would take off to work the polls, later saying that it was “recommended” by a supervisor to give the daughters of both the vice principal and a township commissioner, respectively, “A’s” regardless of their actual work output in class.
The students or officials in question were not mentioned by name in the interview.
The video is seven minutes and 11 seconds long and is available on Larry Wainstein’s, Sacco’s main opponent in the May 12 municipal election, YouTube page.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XOAxaEsmiY[/fve]
Meanwhile, the North Bergen Board of Education election took place on April 21, with the three candidates endorsed by Sacco sweeping the election.
Wainstein, who also supported three candidates in the race, said afterwards that even with politicians such as Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32), Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-32), ex-West New York Mayor Sal Vega “and the North Bergen machinery, made up of school teachers,” Sacco “received the lowest voter turnout ever.”
The next day, April 22, Sacco posted a video on his Facebook page where Denise Arenas, a North Bergen High School vice principal, and Hugo Cabrera, the township commissioner of parks and recreation, firing back at the claims made by Guillen.
Both officials said that their daughters, who are now freshmen in college, graduated at the top of their class and were never even enrolled in Guillen’s AP French class.
“This woman, to make these claims, when all she, the only interaction she ever had with them was when she was a substitute (teacher), which cannot give grades … it’s disgusting, disturbing and someone should really look into this woman,” Cabrera says in the video.
“I just hope no one ever does this to this woman, or Mr. Wainstein, his children: the man that’s behind this whole thing. The man that’s trying to steal North Bergen, the man that does not even live in North Bergen.”
A voiceover from an anonymous woman in the video states that Guillen is “facing formal charges that she is unfit to be a teacher” and is “in big trouble.” The video does not make any mention of litigation or any other formal legal action against Guillen.
Finally, last night, posting on an anti-Nick Sacco Facebook page, Guillen wrote a lengthy response to the video challenging what she initially said, claiming she contacted the FBI and even wrote to the White House in 2011, for the same reasons she stated on camera.
Furthermore, although she says she never had the daughters of either Arenas or Cabrera in her AP French class, she retorts that assigned them grades when she took over a “financial literacy class” for the fourth marking period of 2011 after the teacher of the class resigned.
Guillen also alleges that even though her termination letter, dated June 28, 2013, says she would not be brought back due to financial reasons, another teacher was hired to teach the same class the following school year.
The Sacco and Wainstein factions alike have been taking a no holds barred approach leading up to the May 12 municipal election, with each side taking aim at one of their opponent’s respective board of education candidates prior to the April 21 BOE election.
Why don’t they disclose what “formal charges” they are filing? Typical bullying tactics to intimidate others that might now have the courage to step forward. No charges can be brought against her at all. She never mentions any student names (Commissioner Cabrera and VP Arenas outed their own children by making their “response” video) and she no longer teaches in NJ! She has done nothing illegal – unless exercising your 1st amendment right is now against the law in North Bergen (I wouldn’t be surprised). What she speaks is the truth. I can’t recall how many times I’ve seen my own son’s teachers going door to door or working the polls on election day (during school hours nonetheless).
Mydaughterfa ed the same thing being fired for financial reasons only to be replaced by a teacher with less seniority who also happened to be the daughter of the mayor of guttenburg deladonna
W6 years on the fire department i know how the. Political machine works and everything this teacher said is right on the money. Play the game or face the rath
I went to North Bergen High School and taught there for a few years – every thing she said is completely believable. Sadly, I have no doubt that her experience is the rule, not the exception.
My daughter taught in kennedy school 4 three years and was terminated one day shy of tenure because she moved out of N.B. so i know she is right
I taught there and have texts that prove teachers had to do political work. That town is beyond corrupt and someone needs to put an end to it.
Hi Sam! Please get in touch with me 🙂
Sarah Guillen through Facebook.
We, the people are going to put an end to it 🙂
Thanks!!!
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately, I don’t have Facebook!
They are closing all the district school Tuesday, May 12th to “make up for unused snow days” on election day! They asked the teachers to “volunteer” that day. Parents will have to make arrangements for child care because the teachers will be busy doing other things… Sickening…
Thats N.B for you forget kids education for another term in office and another four years of having his ring kissed by the stooges
Of course. So typical. I worked politically with one of the mayor’s right hand men and he made it clear that it would be bad for me if I did not “work” an election or I did not go to any meetings that were held at either my committee man’s house or my district leader’s house.