Walter Evers, a staff member at Elizabeth County Public Schools, has been charged with possession of a handgun with a large capacity magazine that he allegedly carried around children. According to NJ Today, “Evers routinely entered school properties throughout the district, although it was not clear if he frequently exposed children to any danger by carrying the weapon.”

As of today, neither Superintendent of Schools Olga Hugelmeyer nor Board President Maria Carvalho has informed parents, “despite the elaborate pronouncements made in Elizabeth after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and at subsequent events.” The article continues,

All that talk turned out to be meaningless, as students, parents and staff were left in the dark about Evers’ arrest on school property when he was charged with possession of a handgun with a large capacity magazine.

In the past, school officials did not attempt to sweep firearms incidents under the rug. On February 27, 2018, Hugelmeyer sent a letter to parents stating: ‘An incident took place at Jefferson Arts Academy involving a student who brought an unloaded BB gun into school. The district contacted the Elizabeth Police Department and the student and weapon were both removed from the school. The school followed all protocols to ensure that Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy students and staff were safe.’

Elizabeth parent and special education advocate Maria Lorenz tweeted,

@OlgaHugelmeyer & @MayorBollwage controlled @epsBOARD funded w/dark money complicit in silence, derelict in informing the public of this serious matter. Why? @SenatorMenendez@CoryBooker @SenatorJoeCryan did we not deserve to know? Shameless. @CaddleLuisahttps://t.co/fqglcBVsBM

— Lorenz (@iepmstr) December 14, 2022