Orange teacher's suspension discussed at BOE meeting

The Orange Board of Education convened to discuss the third-grade teacher suspended for having students write "get well" letters to a convicted cop killer. The meeting was held Tuesday night at Orange

News 12 Staff

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Apr 15, 2015, 6:34 AM

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Updated 3,439 days ago

The Orange Board of Education convened to discuss the third-grade teacher suspended for having students write "get well" letters to a convicted cop killer.

The meeting was held Tuesday night at Orange Middle School. Police cordoned off the area in front of the school and the district barred cameras from being present at the meeting.

Teacher Marylin Zuniga was suspended after she had her student write letters to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.

Zuniga's lesson at Forest Street Elementary School sparked outrage after school officials and the public learned she had her students write to one of the country's most-infamous inmates.

While some said that the notion was inappropriate for third-graders, others have said they admire that Zuniga got her students to show compassion for others.

Zuniga spoke to News 12 outside the school Tuesday night. She said that she gave her students a quote and asked them to devise a lesson, which is when they came up with the idea for the letters.

There is no word on whether Zuniga will continue to be employed at the school.