Rocky Point Parents Holding Class on Thursday Night

A group of Rocky Point parents will be meeting Thursday night as it still tries to figure out a way to get a well-liked assistant principal back in the classroom, and to "get parents caught up to speed" on some other things they say they've been looking into.

After Joe Tapler, assistant principal at Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School, was placed on administrative leave in late June, hundreds of students, parents, and grandparents showed up at a July school board meeting calling for his reinstatement.

Rocky Point School District, citing confidentiality related to personnel issues, has declined to comment on the matter, just noting that a former principal at Briarcliff Elementary in Shoreham-Wading River who most recently served as a principal in the Hauppauge School District, is serving in his place in the meantime.

Thursday night's meeting, held at a private home at 15 Brightview Dr., will go beyond just Tapler's case however, said Tim Hoffman, a father in the district who organized the meeting. Hoffman said that as of early Thursday afternoon, close to 60 members of the community, as well as a couple of school board members, are scheduled to attend the meeting, open to the public.

"We have to get away from having 10 to 15 parents showing up at a board of education meeting," Hoffman said. "So this forum is, number one, to get parents involved. And number two, to build support for the school district, and get people to show up on a more regular basis."

Tapler's incident caused a stir among many parents and students alike, inviting some parents to take a closer look. After spending the past month investigating more fully, Hoffman said he's been "absolutely disgusted with some of the information" he's seen.

Hoffman added that individuals who decide to attend should being their own chair. The meeting is expected to run from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.