NJ school boss blasted for 'woke-ness'

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Thursday

⬛ Police: Duo stole 280 iPhones worth $117K in NJ smash and grab

Carlos Brito of Passaic, accused of stealing 280 iPhones (Essex County Jail, Canva, Townsquare Media Illustration)

A Passaic man has been accused of helping steal a massive amount of iPhones from an Essex County wholesale electronics store three months ago.

On April 18 around 2:24 a.m., Fairfield police were sent to investigate an alarm going off at United Tower Associates, which also operates as Digital World Shop, along Bloomfield Avenue.

More than 280 Apple iPhones were stolen, for a total value of more than $117,000, police said.

⬛ NJ beach bans swimming for the rest of summer

Beachwood West in Beachwood (Beachwood Borough)

BEACHWOOD — A beach that has prohibited swimming several times this summer because of high levels of fecal bacteria will remain off-limits for the rest of the season.

The DEP coordinates daily tests of 217 ocean, river and bay beaches along the Jersey Shore. In Ocean County the health department conducts the tests and reports them to the DEP.

After a heavy rain, the levels can increase as waste is swept into bodies of water. After a sample tests at a higher than acceptable level the DEP issues an advisory. Two tests in a row results in a ban on swimming. In most cases, the third test comes back at or below an acceptable level and the advisory is lifted.

⬛ Hot tea spill permanently burns woman's hand, new lawsuit says

(Google Maps/Canva)

HILLSIDE — In the latest hot spill lawsuit against Dunkin' in New Jersey, a Union County woman claims she suffered severe and permanent burns on her hand due to negligence.

Essence Springer bought a hot mint tea at the Dunkin' drive-thru on Liberty Avenue in Hillside on Dec. 17, 2023, according to the lawsuit filed last week.

After being handed the tea, the hot drink spilled on her hand.

The ensuing burn forced Springer to miss work and her other "usual activities," according to the lawsuit. It also racked up expensive medical bills.

⬛ Should NJ schools ban cell phones?

CANVA/TOWNSQUARE MEDIA ILLUSTRATION

The latest issue befuddling many New Jersey school districts as they prepare for the new academic year is what to do about cell phones.

A growing number of districts are debating policies that would severely restrict cell phone use or ban their possession outright in classrooms.

This concern was amplified by a new study from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) that found a clear link between phone usage and a decline in academic performance among 15-year-olds.

⬛ Test calling ISIS terrorists sparks trouble for NJ school super

WAYNE — Parents are holding a school superintendent's feet to the fire after he apologized for a test question that called ISIS an Islamic terror group.

The multiple choice question was part of a quiz in a seventh-grade class at Schuyler-Colfax Middle School in Wayne, according to the group Teaching While Muslim.

It asked students to identify a "terrorist group" with the "goal of global rule under strict Islamic Sharia law."

The correct answer was the Islamic State — more commonly known as ISIS.