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Lakeland High School custodian Scott Volpe, 39, a married father of two from Ringwood, was arrested on March 7 on child pornography charges, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Nearly one week later, Lakeland was briefly placed on lockdown as FBI agents searched the school, Superintendent Hugh Beattie confirmed.
"[FBI agents] were called in as a precautionary measure to ensure that our campus was safe for students and staff," Beattie tells Daily Voice. "There was no evidence that Mr. Volpe had hidden cameras in the building."
Beattie confirmed that Volpe has been suspended and will not return to the school. He sent a message to parents on March 13, informing them of the arrest. The message read:
"We have been contacted by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office that one of our employees has been arrested in connection with a crime that occurred over the past few months involving a minor child in another town.
"This is an ongoing investigation, and as such, we cannot divulge any details surrounding the arrest. Please know that the employee is in police custody and will not be returning to work at Lakeland. Meanwhile, we will continue to cooperate with local police and the County Prosecutor’s Office."
Many parents felt the message lacked transparency and raised more questions than answers, according to a Change.org petition launched by concerned parents.
"Authorities were informed of the allegations on March 7, yet the community was not notified until March 13—via a vague and haphazard text message," the petition states. "Even more troubling, law enforcement, including the FBI, conducted activity at Lakeland High School on March 14 at 11:30 AM—while students were in class—yet parents were not informed until 1:49 PM."
The petition, which calls for Beattie's removal, accuses the district of mishandling communication and failing to keep parents properly informed during the FBI’s search of the school.
While some parents expressed frustration over the district’s handling of the incident, others took a more measured stance.
"I hope you have ALL of the facts right as you blasted this guy on here," one parent wrote on social media. "Remember, and this is big... facts and emotions are not the same thing."
"There are plenty of reasons Hugh should be fired, but this situation is not the hill to die on," another parent said.
Others simply wished the district did a better job of handling serious situations.
This is not the first time Beattie has faced backlash. In September, more than 850 parents signed a separate petition criticizing his response to a student threat that led to a heavy police presence at the school.
The latest petition also raises concerns about financial mismanagement, accusing the administration of proposing 24 staff and faculty layoffs while increasing administrative hires.
Beattie confirmed budgetary restraints have resulted in layoffs but has not publicly addressed specific concerns regarding the petition.
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