Hawthorne school security guard suspended for remarks about Black Lives Matter
HAWTHORNE NJ June 7 2020 — A school security guard has been suspended from duty for allegedly posting derogatory remarks about the Black Lives Matter crusade and its supporters to his personal Facebook page.
Scott Verrone, 55, a retired police officer, was removed from his $25-per-hour post at the high school after declaring the movement “nothing more than another HATE GROUP.”
The remarks were put up just days in advance of a scheduled human rights march in the borough.
Schools Superintendent Richard Spirito said in a letter to students and their families on Thursday that he and the Board of Education were angry about the “racially charged” remarks. He said an investigation by the K-12 district was pending.
“The disrespectful and hurtful nature of this post is the antithesis of our school’s core values and beliefs,” the schools chief wrote.
Spirito did not return a call for more information.
A screenshot of the remarks was posted to a Facebook page for Hawthorne citizens, which appears to show that Verrone compared Black Lives Matter to the Ku Klux Klan.
His post goes on to wish well for “peaceful protesters” and police. He added, “The bad apples are going to start trouble, and you will unfortunately be caught in the middle.”
A petition was circulating online with more than 2,000 signatures on Friday that asked the school board to save Verrone’s job. “Scott is all about the kids, the school and the town,” wrote one of the signers.
Verrone declined to comment when reached on his cellphone.
He retired as a lieutenant in 2012, having worked for the Paterson Police Department for 26 years.
