Homeowner says Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls students terrorized his family

A Hawthorne man says students from a nearby school terrorized his family Monday, and he wants protection.

News 12 Staff

Jan 30, 2019, 7:46 PM

Updated 1,918 days ago

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A Hawthorne man says students from a nearby school terrorized his family Monday, and he wants protection.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said he is asking for some type of security and protection from the controversial Hawthorne-Cedar Knolls school. His home is right behind the school, and he claims three students from the school terrorized his wife and three children this week.
"I came home to my children very scared and upset. They were afraid to go in the kitchen, look out the back. They said, 'Dad what's going on? Are they going to be there again? Are they going to come back,'" said the man.
That homeowner who lives on Linda Avenue says his kids were doing homework at his kitchen table when his wife noticed three teenage girls making out in the woods behind their house. When she asked them to leave, he say the girls began shouting curse words and then started throwing rocks while a security guard just watched.
He says he doesn't believe there is enough protection to keep the troubled kids out of the woods near his property.  The residential treatment part of the school shut down recently but the homeowner says the problems remain.
"We're asking for more security. It's not a big issue putting a fence in I guess. To start off with," he says.
Mount Pleasant police say the three students were not on private property, and they are not releasing any more information because of those girls' ages.
The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, which runs the school, told News 12 in a statement: "The safety of our neighbors, residents, and employees is our top priority, and we are in close touch with the authorities investigating this incident. We regularly assess the property to see what further safety improvements can be implemented or upgraded."
 


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