English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Paterson, NJ

An angry New Jersey mother says her 6-year-old son who is nonverbal was given hot sauce by a teacher’s aide as a form of discipline at his elementary school.

Quasheema Frye, who has two children who are on the autism spectrum, said her younger son, Lamond, was one of the students in a classroom at Dale Avenue Elementary School in Paterson where a teacher’s aide allegedly used hot sauce as punishment for bad behavior.

A spokesperson for Paterson Public Schools said the district was made aware of the allegation and has since fired the employee involved. The spokesperson did not confirm the specific claim but said the district is investigating.

“The district is aware of the allegation regarding an incident at Dale Avenue Elementary School and immediately initiated an investigation in accordance with established protocols,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The individual involved is no longer employed by the district. We are committed to ensuring that every student feels safe, respected, and supported. Due to the nature of the matter, we are unable to share additional details at this time.”

District officials did not disclose the employee’s name or how long the aide had been employed.

Frye said she learned about the incident in December after concerns were raised on social media by another employee, who said the aide’s actions were witnessed in the classroom.

After seeing the post, Frye said she contacted the school to ask whether her son had been involved. She said the school’s principal later told her Lamond could have been among the students disciplined by the aide.

The mother is being represented by Salaam Ismail, a longtime New Jersey public advocate and director of the National United Youth Council.

Ismail criticized the district’s response, calling it “inept and irresponsible,” and said officials should have immediately involved the Division of Child Protection and Permanency or referred the matter to prosecutors.

“When you put foreign substances in children’s mouths, you put their lives at risk,” Ismail said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Who knows, a child could have allergies or anything.”

Frye said her son is in a classroom of 10 students, all of whom have special needs. Many of the students are nonverbal, and the classroom is staffed by a teacher and multiple aides.

Her son has since returned to school, but Frye said she is still concerned about how the incident was handled.

Frye and Ismail are scheduled to meet with the district superintendent Wednesday to demand answers.

“There’s a lot of questions that we want to have answered,” Ismail said. “We don’t know who the aide was by name, and we don’t know if she was qualified.”

NEWARK, NJ — TAPinto Paterson and TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock were recognized by the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists, winning 2025 Excellence in Journalism awards.

TAPinto Paterson's Gabriella Dragone received a second place award in the Best Business/Consumer Story category. In August 2024, Dragone reported on the development and grand opening of a market founded by a Paterson native. The owner worked to combat food insecurity by offering high-quality products at affordable prices.

“I am so honored that the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists took my work into consideration,” Dragone said. "Highlighting a Paterson native opening a healthy corner store wasn’t just about a new business, it was about access, community pride, and showing what’s possible when residents invest back into their neighborhoods. Receiving this recognition means a lot, not just for me, but for the community that trusted me with their story."

“Gabby’s story about A Better Market is exactly what local news reporting should be,” Steve Lenox, Founder of Oasis Media, the publisher of TAPinto Paterson said. “She is in the community, knows who is making an impact, and is engaging with readers in a way that truly makes a difference.”

TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock’s Rebecca Greene, Simon Toffell and Kyle Mazza were honored with a second place award in the Best Breaking News Coverage category. The journalists covered a shooting at a local park in May 2024, the aftermath and the many questions from the community about public safety.

"Local reporting is back in the forefront with dedicated journalists focusing on solid newsgathering, double-checking sources, and gathering eyewitness accounts," Greene said. “The 'Shooting in Glen Rock' story was a matter of being on top of it when it happened, listening to people that were on scene or nearby when it happened. We have good photographers and people that are willing to do the footwork necessary.”

“At TAPinto, it's about providing high-quality, objective, award-winning local journalism. These awards by the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists are a testament to the hard work and dedication of TAPinto owner/publishers and their reporters,” TAPinto Founder and CEO Michael Shapiro said. “Congratulations to TAPinto Paterson and TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock on these industry-leading achievements, and thank you for making a positive difference in your communities.”

In all, the NJ Society of Professional Journalists handed out 49 awards this year.

“This is easily the biggest contest we’ve relaunched it four years ago,” P. Kenneth Burns, president of NJ-SPJ, said in a news release announcing the winners in late December. “Our judges, who are out of the region, continue to be impressed by the quality of the journalism that comes from our state and, by proxy, the two metro areas we are part of. Reporters in New Jersey and who cover New Jersey should be proud of the work they do on a daily basis.”

The winners will be part of a celebration at a future date.

A house in Paterson that sold for $900,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Paterson area in the past week.

In total, eight residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $630,375, or $304 per square foot.

The prices in the list below include real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Nov. 24 even if the property may have been sold earlier.

7. $445K, single-family house at 235 Marion Street #237

The property at 235 Marion Street #237 in Paterson has new owners. The price was $445,000. The detached house has a living area of 1,288 square feet. The price per square foot was $345. The deal was finalized on Oct. 29.

6. $470K, detached house at 140 Oak Street

A 1,316-square-foot single-family residence at 140 Oak Street in Paterson, has been sold. The price was $470,000, $357 per square foot. The deal was finalized on Oct. 29.

5. $620K, detached house at 18 Eagle Ave.

The property at 18 Eagle Ave. in Paterson has new owners. The price was $620,000. The single-family house has a living area of 2,480 square feet. The price per square foot was $250. The deal was finalized on Oct. 30.

4. $680K, single-family house at 227 Mill Street

The sale of the single-family residence at 227 Mill Street in Paterson, has been finalized. The price was $680,000. It has a living area of 1,881 square feet. The price per square foot was $362. The deal was finalized on Oct. 27.

3. $750K, single-family home at 411 E. 30th Street #413

A sale has been finalized for the single-family house at 411 E. 30th Street #413 in Paterson. The price was $750,000. The living area totals 3,638 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $206. The deal was finalized on Oct. 29.

2. $790K, detached house at 182 Lafayette Street #184

A sale has been finalized for the single-family house at 182 Lafayette Street #184 in Paterson. The price was $790,000. The living area totals 1,788 square feet. The price per square foot ended up at $442. The deal was finalized on Oct. 29.

1. $900K, single-family home at 120 Lewis Street #122

A 2,918-square-foot detached house at 120 Lewis Street #122 in Paterson has been sold. The price was $900,000, $308 per square foot. The deal was finalized on Oct. 29.