Mother's arrest at Jersey City Board of Education meeting sparks outrage

Tensions are rising in Jersey City as parents and community members demand answers from the Board of Education after a mother was arrested during last week's board meeting.

Cellphone video from a meeting on May 21 shows Emily Pecot, a single mother of a daughter with special needs, being escorted out by officers in handcuffs.

At an emergency meeting Thursday, Board President Noemi Velázquez stated the board was disheartened by the actions and she had no indication what happened prior to Pecot's arrest.

But board members clashed after Board Vice President Dejon Morris stated he alerted the board's security director to Pecot being disruptive.

"I respect your opinion. You know I respect your opinion, but I disagree with it. But we just contradicted ourself up here," board trustee Tia Rezabala said. "[Velázquez] just personally said, 'We didn't do it,' then [Morris] just said, 'I did it.'"

Parents in attendance demanded an apology.

"I will educate every parent in this city and give them the right to know what you've done," one person said.

"Ms. Pecot was not a threat. She was just a mother asking for you to do right by her child," another person said.

"It's imperative that the trustees need to be reminded before every meeting that they are here for our children, and they do work on behalf of parents and this community as their constituents," another speaker said. "And November is coming."  

Protesters outside the meeting said calling for Pecot's arrest was way out of line.

"We were really hoping that they would make some kind of public comment about dismissing the charges or at least apologizing to the parent," parent Sylvia Charles said.

Some called for transparency, accountability and change from the board.

The Board of Education didn't publicly address parent's demands, but parents said they plan to remain engaged until they receive answers.