Woodbridge, NJ teacher charged with faking doctor’s note on masks

WOODBRIDGE — A public school gym teacher is facing criminal charges after prosecutors said she faked a doctor's note so that she would not have to wear a mask at work.

Gayle Hadley, 53, of Toms River, was arrested and charged on Thursday with falsifying medical records and uttering, both fourth-degree counts.

Hadley submitted a forged doctor's letter on Sept. 8 in which she claimed a made-up medical exemption from the mask policy held by Woodbridge Public Schools and the state, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone,

Uttering is when someone tries to pass off a forged document "as genuine" to another party.

She has been a physical education teacher at Lynn Crest Elementary School 22 in the Colonia section of the township, according to the school's website.

It was not immediately clear on Monday afternoon if Hadley remained in that position or was suspended.

The Woodbridge Schools Superintendent declined to comment on the matter on Monday.

A Twitter account with the handle "GHadleyPE" shared a profile link to Hadley's district teacher page, which was not active on Monday.

The account previously shared an online petition aimed at getting schools in Hadley's hometown of Toms River to make masks optional for the 2021-2022 school year.