N.J. school official sorry for graduation sniper joke

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(AP) WEST MILFORD, N.J. - A New Jersey school board official is apologizing for joking during a commencement speech about a sniper being inside the football stadium.

School board vice president Wayne Gottlieb made the comment while filling in Tuesday at West Milford High's graduation for board president David Richards.

Gottlieb said, "To the sniper up in the box, this is not Mr. Richards." Looking under the podium, he added: "There aren't any explosives under here, right?"

Gottlieb tells The Record of Woodland Park he was trying to provide a light moment and was alluding to school board tensions. If people were offended, he says he apologizes.

The board president says a student would have been suspended for making such a remark. He says the event was a graduation, not a roast.

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[enlightenu]

Yup, the terrorists have won. They have robbed us of our humor.

[canislupus16]

Sorry, enlightenu, I don't find the remark humorous, and terrorists don't have anything to do with it. There were snipers long before 9/11. In any case, the remark had absolutely no place at a graduation and most other events, in most venues.

Hope the guy gets booted.