MANCHESTER – Amidst a lawsuit and revelations of a criminal history, a petition has been started to have Superintendent John Berenato removed.
The Manchester Township Board of Education will be having a special meeting for the purposes of discussing the Superintendent’s contract on November 7, starting at 5 p.m. at the Manchester Township Middle School located at 2759 Ridgeway Road.
The meeting will be open to the public and action may be taken according to School District Business Administrator Craig A. Lorentzen.
Recently, questions have been raised by parents on social media concerning Berenato’s criminal record under a different name and a lawsuit in which he, the Board of Education and several administrators have been named concerning allegations of harassment towards Evelyn Swift, a principal in the school district.
Board President Gayle Mount responded to an inquiry by The Manchester Times stating “the Board of Education acknowledges the e-mails and correspondence we have received recently concerning Mr. Berenato and thank you for your input. Per the advice of the Board attorney, we cannot respond to these e-mail or comments on this matter at this time.”
“We are taking this matter very seriously and will continue to consult with our attorney throughout this process as we try to resolve this issue,” Mount added.
Berenato was hired in February of 2022 to replace retiring superintendent David Trethaway. He has the remainder of this year and two additional years left on his contract with the Manchester School District. His current annual salary is $178,606 according to Lorentzen.
Swift filed the lawsuit on October 9 in Ocean County Superior Court. Soon after, resident Robert Frazee started the petition to have Berenato removed.
“Evelyn Swift has been a pillar of the Manchester Township Schools since 1999, starting her journey as a middle school teacher and serving as the principal at Whiting Elementary since July 2012,” the petition states.
The suit alleges that Berenato repeatedly harassed Swift in an effort to remove her as the principal at Whiting Elementary. The suit claims he made remarks about her age and recommended she retire. In addition, Swift alleges the superintendent made repeated statements referencing her race, and retaliated when she filed a grievance concerning her performance evaluation.
A flyer circulating online from the Manchester Township Education Association
Frazee said, “throughout her tenure, Ms. Swift has positively impacted thousands of children in our community. However, recent allegations regarding Superintendent John Berenato’s treatment towards Ms. Swift have surfaced that demand immediate attention.”
“We are calling on the Manchester Township Board of Education to immediately suspend Superintendent Berenato and launch a thorough investigation into these allegations. The integrity of our educational institutions is paramount for the wellbeing of our children and staff alike. It is crucial that we ensure all individuals within these institutions are treated fairly and with respect,” Frazee added.
Frazee stated on a change.org petition post, “we urge you to stand with us in demanding justice for Evelyn Swift by ensuring these serious allegations are properly investigated without delay or bias. Sign this petition to show your support for transparency, fairness, and respect within Manchester Township Schools.”
He told The Manchester Times, “I’m a parent and involved person in the community. I talk with a lot of parents in the district and two of my five children went to Whiting Elementary School. Three went to Manchester Township Elementary School.”
Frazee has also been a football and basketball coach on the recreation level for many years. The link can be found at change.org/p/demand-immediate-suspension-and-investigation-of-superintendent-john-berenato?recruiter
Swift’s lawsuit also names district administrators Early Childhood Director Lori Burns, Director of Special Services Bridget Antonucci, District Supervisor of Instruction Linda Saraceno, and Affirmative Action Officer Alex George and the entire Board of Education. She claims in the suit that they assisted or did nothing about her complaints about Berenato’s behavior.
Frazee called for an emergency Board of Education meeting and previously urged parents and residents who support his petition to come out to the Board’s November 21 meeting to voice their concerns.
In reviewing Berenato’s police records, they revealed incidents of assault charges under his maiden name John Acampora, including but not limited to, disorderly conduct – improper behavior fight/threat/ in 2008 and simple assault in January 2016. There was also another disorderly conduct -improper behavior charge in 2006.
Frazee told The Manchester Times that he expects a complaint to be filed to the Department of Education involving Berenato. “There is a budget deficit into the 100k and more due to his people being brought in at 100k plus salaries.”
The Manchester Times attempted to confirm information that Berenato had applied for a position of superintendent in the Berlin Township School District and also reached out to Berenato to provide a response to the petition and social media posts being made about him. The Berlin Township School District nor Mr. Berenato have replied to repeated messages concerning those matters.
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