District 'More Sensitive' Since Abuse Accusations

A little over two months ago, former Montville teacher Jason Fennes was charged with sexual assault after allegedly abusing two child victims.

While a spokesman for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said last week there are no new details to be released on the cases, Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried said school district employees have become more in touch with what constitutes inappropriate behavior since the March arrests.

"I think that we've all become more sensitive," Fried said.

Fennes, who taught first grade at the and was an employee of the district from September 1998 until he resigned in June 2010, was in 2005. On March 9, he was arrested a second time and for allegedly abusing a second student.

Capt. Jeff Paul, a spokesman for Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi, said last week that Fennes' court appearances have not yet been scheduled.

Fennes' attorney, Julian Wilsey, has not responded to several calls for comment. Dr. Stephanie Adams, former William Mason School principal and Fennes' superior at the time of his employment with the district, also did not respond to calls for comment.

Training for Employees

In an interview with Montville Patch last week, Fried spoke about the district's mandated training procedures that were in place before Fennes' arrests and for at least the past two years while he has been superintendent. 

"It's part sensitivity and signs to look for," Fried said.

Fried said the district does both face-to-face and online training, but has moved more toward a trend of online training, which is both cost-effective for the district and allows teachers to spend less time away from their students.

In this training, the employees, who not only include teachers, but bus drivers, custodians and other workers as well, learn "to be sensitive to the signs of child abuse," he said, and what to do if they witness or hear of a child abuse incident.

"We are all mandated reporters," Fried said, explaining that the teachers do not need to report the abuse to their building principals and can go straight to the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS).

Moving Forward

Immediately following Fennes' arrests, the school district took an active approach in reaching out to parents and students offering support. Fried providing contact information for the district's director of guidance. Fried also said the district has been in full compliance with the prosecutor's office throughout the investigation.

"We're trying to create a culture in the district of good, open communication," he said.

Fried said this "culture" does not only apply to the Fennes investigation, but also , the hiring process of and more. Getting information out about all of these topics is a priority of Montville Public Schools', he said.

"We're just trying to communicate openly about issues of importance," Fried said.

While Fried believes the district community has become more aware of child abuse and the forms it can take, he also said accountability has been stressed to district staff.

"We need to have high expectations for the adults and the work they do," he said.

Fried said in the past several months, he has received almost no feedback from parents about the Fennes investigation and that the issue has not come up at recent board meetings. But while the issue has not been discussed recently in public, Fried stressed that the district is still taking the issue seriously.

"I hope people are comfortable in knowing that we're paying a lot of attention," he said.