Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM insurance groups.

Serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

BRIANNA: Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the family of the teen who died by suicide nearly a year ago is suing her school district.

Alleging the system failed to protect her from bullying.

>> We filed this lawsuit to seek justice for Adriana, and to hold the school district, school officials, and especially the school superintendent, accountable.

BRIANNA: Plus, ready to run?

>> I can tell you right now I have been consistent.

There will be consistent if we are going to win.

BRIANNA: State Senator Jon Bramnick becomes the first Republican to officially throw his hat in the ring for New Jersey governor.

Also, one dollar homes.

Newark sells city owned properties for dollar as part of a new program to bitumen arrays.

>> I was shocked.

you dream about, you pray about it, you know you post your family about it.

You talk to your friends.

And then for it to actually happen, it's a dream come true.

BRIANNA: And, smoking ban.

lawmakers say they are confident they have the votes to pass a smoking ban on casino floors and .

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ ANNOUNCER: from NJBS studios, This is NJ Spotlight news with Brianna Vannozzi.

BRIANNA: Good evening and thanks for joining us this Monday night.

I Brianna Vanozzi.

amThe family of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch, who died by suicide nearly a year ago is suing her former school district, alleging administrators of Central Regional High School new, quote, "culture of violence" existed within the school system, but failed to protect the team from it.

Video posted just days before she took her life showed the freshman being viciously attacked in a school hallway.

It later became known Kuch was the victim of repeated bullying and in the aftermath of her death, more video surfaced of other bullying incidents against other students at the school.

As Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports, the lawsuit filed by the family also target the former superintendent.

>> This case is widely seen as a way to ruright the terrible wrong.

Reporter: the attorney represents Adriana Kuch's family.

The 14-year-old died by suicide last February after four classmates at Central Regional High School assaulted her and then posted videos of that attack on social media.

The attorney announced her family suing the school district's Board of Education, claiming it failed in its duty to properly protect Adriana from attacks and cyber bullying.

>> They knew they had a bullying problem.

There are two other lawsuits pending besides ours, so those 3 lawsuits combined show that this problem had preceded long before February 1, 2023.

Reporter: the 7-code civil suit names the board, several school officials, and especially the former superintendent asserting that for years, they knew or should've have known it culture and climate of her, intimidation and bullying existed at Central Regional High School.

Which included physical assaults like this one recorded by students and posted on social media.

It claims that after the attack on Adriana, defendant process also breached their duties by failing to conduct an adequate.

-- defendants also breached their duties by failing to conduct an adequate to me and sober investigation of the physical attack which would have limited the risk of a subsequent ever attack on Adriana.

Reporter: family has been left with one option and that is to file this lawsuit they filed this lawsuit to seek justice for Adriana and to hold the school district, officials and especially the superintendent, accountable.

Reporter: The lawsuit also accuses former Superintendent Parlapanides of invading Adriana and the Kuch family's privacy.

Defaming them and inflicting emotional distress by making false statements about her father's relationships and illegally disclosing private information about Adriana's mental health.

The suit says Parlapanides told the reporter Adriana's dad would just have to eat the [EXPLETIVE] sandwich after she died.

>> There is currently in New Jersey, no meaningful River consequence of any kind for schools and administrators that don't adequately protect kids, including when kids die.

So this lawsuit is not a shock to me, in the sense.

And I can only welcome it.

Munis stored green served on New Jersey's percent Anti-Bullying Task Force.

He's right the -- he cites the Tyler Clementi and Mallory Grossman lawsuits as cases that resulted in new state anti bullying laws.

>> These tragedies are what drive progress in terms of those addressing bullying, and that is disgraceful.

Reporter: the attorney says the family, especially Adriana's Father Michael, felt too upset to speak out, especially as the one-year anniversary of her death approaches.

>> A moment doesn't go by.

A moment doesn't go by that he doesn't think about his daughter.

He wakes up in the middle of the night screaming her name.

REPORTER: Central Regional High School filed a lawsuit against Julie deplatforms, claiming it enables teen cyberbullying.

NJ Spotlight News reached out to the district and former superintendent for the comment on this lawsuit, which seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANNA: He built himself as the funniest lawyer in New Jersey, and now state senator John Bramnick is officially the first Republican to announce his candidacy for governor.

Bramnick launched his 2025 campaign during a splashy event on Saturday at a comedy club in New Brunswick where he occasionally performs stand up.

He is a moderate long-term lawmaker and vocal Trump critic.

As Celia political correspondent David Cruise report, he is also likely to be a formidable candidate.

>> It's called Uber.

Reporter: you have to have a sense of humor to run for office in New Jersey.

Where politicians are most often funny when they are not trying to be.

In declaring for the Republican gubernatorial primary this week, Senator Jon Bramnick was a little more serious than usual.

>> don't fear speaking out against those who dwell in hate and ridicule, I have no fear of those who act like out-of-control high school believes on social media.

>> there will be plenty of time for funny.

There were probably three or four lines that were funny.

But it is serious.

Reporter: with a crowd of close to 300, including a couple of KHON 2 chairs and some other big-time state GOP names, serious is what many observers were saying today.

Reporter: Usually we are used to seeing a sparse room full of people.

He had luminaries from within the National Party.

He had supporters.

This is a nice rollout for him.

Reporter: And it's actually a pretty good time to be a Republican gubernatorial candidate.

You have a lame-duck Democrat heading into our year were a hyped up electorate could experience some economic stress from fair increases and tax increases and maybe it will back off some state services.

And New Jersey really elects a governor from the same party three times in a row.

>> New Jersey is known as a blue state.

Where we end up electing a Republican is one two is a certain connection beyond party.

We have seen that happen before with Christie Whitman, and they think more a proposal to this is Chris Christie.

Reporter: This political consultant says Bram Nick's likability, he is buddies with Chris Christie and Phil Murphy, will go a long way in the primary even though he will be staking out the moderate ground that the as yet to declare Jack Ciattarelli also hopes to occupy.

>> The Republican nominee last time got really close.

He is certain for a repeat.

But this entry to the race could make things more interesting.

Reporter: Bramnick and Ciattarelli are likely to face the challenge from the party's right wing, which totaled close to 49% of the primary vote in 2021.

>> It now looks at the moderates might be duking it out.

Might be splitting up their vote, and give the right a solid path forward.

That is a very good question how to never get that and figure that out.

Reporter: Bramnick is the loudest anti Trumper in the state GOP.

He says voters will always know where he stands on that issue.

As opposed to Jack Ciattarelli, who is still work shopping his message on that.

Are you a Donald Trump supporter?

>> I will not be voting for Joe Biden.

But listen, I want to be governor and there is a good chance Donald Trump might be the president.

Reporter: Bramnick is a very mainstream guy, he says.

Open to compromise and always talking about civility and balance in government policy wise.

He says he is low taxes, pro-business and pro-choice Republican.

It touch of Tom Kane, Sr., -- of Christie Whitman, and maybe a pinch of Chris Christie-lite.

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANNA: The White House is blowing an appropriate response to the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured at least 40 others on Sunday at an outpost in Jordan.

It is the first time U.S. troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Sergeant William Rivers and specialists Kennedy Sanders and Breanna Moffat, all from Georgia , were killed in the attack.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby today emphasized the Biden administration is not interested in escalating a broader conflict in the region, but the attack represents a significant shift in an already perilous tuition there.

The Islamic resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for firing the missiles from the Syrian border.

The group is a loose coalition of militias supported by Iran.

Who oppose U.S. support for Israel in the war with Hamas.

Republicans today are criticizing the Biden administration for not taking stronger actions against Iran backed groups in previous attacks.

Trouble continues at the state's nursing homes, two more long-term care facilities are being suspended from New Jersey's Medicaid program, after regulators cited for care the facilities, and evidence of massive Medicaid fraud in several New York nursing homes under the same owners.

The depth forward center and the Hammonton Center for rehabilitation and healthcare will be dropped from the state program on May 24.

Suspension from Medicaid payments typically forces a facility to be sold or closed.

But this announcement carries extra weight, since it comes just weeks after the state suspended two other nursing homes.

Some more on what it means and how it will affect patients, I am joined by Lori Brower, New Jersey's long Term Care Ombudsman.

Laurie Brewer, good to have you on the show.

Your reaction, first of all to this announcement that the stage is going to drop both Deptford and Hammondton from Medicaid payment.

Guest: one of the issues we have in long-term care in New Jersey across the country is that, we suspect to be quite a bit of profit-taking in this industry.

And as we all know, most of these long-term care facilities make their money from Medicaid and also from Medicare.

So they are essentially public-funded.

There aren't a lot of private pay residents and long-term care facilities in New Jersey or across the country.

And so we have a couple of facilities here run by the same owners who are notorious in the state of New York, who are being charged with a number of very, very, serious practices in the state of New York that resulted in extremely poor care there.

And there just happens to have had some recent terrible surveys and dates happen to be the lowest-rated facilities year after year after year.

BRIANNA: They have both been cited repeatedly for health and safety violations, as you mentioned, on the federal level.

They have, I believe, one star in terms of their surveys and their ratings.

How have they been allowed to continue operating?

Guest: The fact is that military system for nursing homes in the state of New Jersey and the nation is constructed by the federal government and carried out by the state.

What happens is that these long-term care facilities are cited.

Sometimes they are missions are curtailed.

Often they have to pay fines, .

But the fact is that for some of these providers, and this is a recognized issue in long-term care, paying fines is the cost of doing business.

BRIANNA: What is the more direct impact for the patients under their care?

Both of these facilities have a couple hundred beds each.

What does it mean for them?

Guest: I think what happened and what is happening in some facilities in northern New Jersey is instructive here, because what can happen is the debarment from the Medicaid program is attached to the owners.

It is not attached to the facility itself.

So inasmuch as those owners perhaps sell or transfer ownership, then the Medicaid debarment does not apply to the facility at all.

What is happening in some other places is that the facilities are being sold.

For now, nothing has really changed for the residents, but there is a lot of stuff going on behind-the-scenes and we will have to see where this goes.

BRIANNA: How do we look at this big-picture, when perhaps a resident or perhaps someone with a family member in any one of the facilities throughout the state, we see continuously that these facilities are being cited , that there are accusations of fraud, and it also appears any way that the allegations that come out are pretty serious about the conditions in these homes.

What are we left to believe then?

Guest: There is a very real staffing challenge in long-term care facilities.

There are many excellent facilities in the state of New Jersey.

But there are some facilities that are notorious not just here, but also in other states, and their finances relatively hidden from us.

So what we need in this state, something I have been pushing for for two years, is greater transparency into the finances of many of these long-term care facilities.

And there is a bill that has been introduced in the legislature by Senator Joe Vitali that would endeavor to do that, and I think we really need to push for that now.

BRIANNA: Laurie Facciarossa Brewer is the Ombudsperson for New Jersey's long term care facilities.

Lori, always good to talk to you.

Guest: Thank you, Breonna.

Bye-Bye.

BRIANNA: A dollar can't get too much these days, but in Newark, it can value a home.

Brick City today held the latest lottery round, choosing residents for a new program aimed at increasing homeownership.

The city owned properties need to be repaired or constructed.

But as Melissa Rose Cooper reports, they only cost a buck and selected owners will get a low interest mortgage to help pay for it.

♪ >> The winner is ell Hardin.

e [APPLAUSE] Reporter: Screams of joy after Latoya Harden realized she was one step closer to having a home.

>> Oh My God, it was just Shock.

Complete shock.

You pray about it, you talk to your family and friends about it and then for it to actually happen, it is such a dream come true.

Reporter: Harding given high-fives with her son Cory by her side, as she proudly accepted the keys to her house in Newark, sold to her for just one dollar.

A lifelong Newark resident, she says she is looking forward to the opportunities this house will create.

>> In a few years, this house could be worth $1 million, right?

Because Newark is on the rise.

So that is important -- financial stability, having a place for my son to always go.

Even when you know I leave this earth.

He is a student in Northstar.

Hard work pays off and that is important.

We did it!

Reporter: She is one of several resident who are now proud homeowners thanks to the Newark Home Ownership Revitalization program lottery.

The city is partnering with the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America to offer eligible longtime residents the chance to buy a city-owned property for as little as one dollar per minute they must commit to live in the properties four Mustang years.

>> It's never been done before that list.

When you drive around Newark, right?

You see vacant lots.

Yusei, who owns those, and how can I own one of those homes and renovate it.

Or put new construction, a beautiful house on that lot?

So Newark is setting the national standard with the one dollar program.

[INDISCERNIBLE] This is an opportunity.

Reporter: The program aims to raise homeownership rates among residents, is roughly 70% are renters.

>> It's really important to us because that means three out of four people are renting.

We want more people to build a house and build equity and have savings for yourself, for your family, to help your kids if you have them to go to school, or to be able to have funds for retirement or any of those exciting things that you want to do.

Reporter: Harden is just thankful that she will finally have a home to call her own.

>> Something we can hold for generations on, my family taking care of his family and his family taken care of and so on.

That is what is important.

Reporter: And city officials say as more houses become available, more residents will have the chance to get one through future lotteries.

For NJ Spotlight News, I am Melissa Rose Cooper.

BRIANNA: In Ella Spotlight on Business Report, it took several attempts bill to ban smoking on , but a the floors of New Jersey's casinos cleared its first hurdle.

Today the legislation got approval from the Senate health committee despite opposition from the casino industry and even some casino workers.

As Ted Goldberg reports, the bill still needs to pass the full legislature, and get a signature from Governor Murphy, but that did not dampen spirits.

Reporter: Reaction was mostly jubilant when the bill moved out of committee and is now one step closer to becoming law.

It was not unanimous, though.

You heard some familiar arguments.

You heard casino dealers saying how barbaric it was to have cigarette smoking and cigar smoke being blown in your face when working.

But you also had folks saying that there could be a cut to business for all of these casinos in Atlantic City.

So while these arguments are pretty familiar for folks who have been following this, the momentum behind making this bill will is fairly recent.

>> On Facebook we are notified with all the pictures.

There was 150 of our friends and coworkers that have died in the last five years at the Taj, just from the Taj Mahal, not including all the other casinos.

We had this fight for them.

>> When I was six months pregnant, I was put in the back of a private room with highrollers and they were all smoking cigars.

I had to go home.

It was terrible.

I couldn't move from the table.

>> This is all about good paying jobs, with good benefits and we want to preserve them and protect them.

>> I don't understand how anyone just can't see why our health is not put before money.

>> When we look holistically at the livelihood of the 22,269 casino workers that exist in our Atlantic City casinos, we want those jobs to be there.

We want them to be able to have those jobs and work in their chosen profession.

>> There needs to be improvements to the current status quo, but enacting a full ban is going to be an economic catastrophe for Atlantic City, for Atlantic County, and for the state as a whole.

Reporter: The back-and-forth between Senators and some of the folks testifying got a little contentious at times, as Senator Joseph Plumitallo didn't buy the argument that smoking is going to lead people to move their business from Atlantic City to Philadelphia.

>> We know the experience of what happened with restaurants, and those of us who were part of this legislature back in 2006 heard from the Association of restaurateurs and other bar owners who said that they would lose business, people would not come, wait staff and others would be laid off by the score, and none of that happened.

>> The biggest obstacle is this argument that we have been fighting for almost two decades, that when things go smoke-free, that business goes down.

What we know is that when casinos go smoke-free around the country, revenue goes up and they outperform their smoking counterparts.

>> There is a competitive advantage in Pennsylvania that we have this issue in New Jersey, because most of our customers come from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

So they will simply go over the bridge to Pennsylvania and take their business there.

>> I will have more people that will come and play that refused to come because of the smoke.

Touch has 10 times more than the people we are going to lose from smoking.

>> More people would actually come to AC, because they will give them a better experience, free of cancer-causing carcinogens and toxins, and with only 11% of the U.S. population being smokers, you are opening your doors to more potential players.

Reporter: casino employees tell me they know they are still a long path ahead before this bill becomes a law.

But after how today went, they are sounding pretty optimistic, Brianna.

BRIANNA: Thank you, Ted.

On Wall Street, stocks held steady as investors prepare for a busy week of earnings updates .

Here is how the markets closed.

♪ BRIANNA: The state's top Democratic lawmakers are putting pressure on the Department of Environmental Protection over the state agency's plan to revitalize Liberty State Park in Jersey city.

In a letter to the DEP first obtained by the Jersey Journal, Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin urged the DEP to reconsider plan to clean up the roughly 234-acre contaminated section of the park world building new meadows and wetlands in right.

Instead, they want them to let a controversial task force they created have more say in the project.

The task force was created by a fast tracked Bill in 2022, and has several members who are allies with learner Paul Fireman.

Fireman has been pushing for years to recreate the park into a sports and entertainment destination.

But environmental and park activists fought against that plan in favor of the DEP.

In the letter, Senate President Scutari and Coughlin said the task force was never consulted on the department's decisions from the park, which they called Dupree troubling, and even threatened to withhold state funding for the project in the future.

The task force is holding a public meeting tomorrow night at the park to consider the plan.

That does it for us tonight.

But don't forget to download the NJ Spotlight News podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire NJ Spotlight News team, thanks for being with us.

Have a great evening.

We will see you back here tomorrow night.

♪ Announcer: New Jersey Education Association.

Making public schools great for every child.

And, RWJ Barnabas health.

Let's be healthy together.

♪ >> NJM Insurance Group has been part of New Jersey for over a century.

We support our communities through NJM's corporate giving program, supporting arts and culture-related and nonprofit organizations that serve to improve the lives of children.

Rebuild communities and help to create a new generation of safe drivers.

We are proud to be part of New Jersey.

NJM, we have got New Jersey covered.

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♪ ♪