19 Summit Rd, Mendham, NJ 07945

I attended Sussex Avenue School for three years (grades 3–5). While this school might look good on paper due to test scores, my time there was incredibly damaging to my mental health due to systemic bias and a complete lack of support from staff and administration.First, there is a severe issue with favoritism among the support staff. A school counselor repeatedly showed prejudice against me because of a mutual conflict with her "favorite" student. My side of the story was entirely ignored, and I was given a permanent bullying charge with barely any investigation and a rejected appeal.Second, the gender discrimination from teachers was constant. Staff openly used harmful stereotypes like "girls behave better than boys." This created a toxic double standard where female students could break rules, cry, and face zero consequences, while male students were immediately threatened with disciplinary action and phone calls home for the same behavior. When I calmly called out this unfairness, teachers refused to give a real response.Finally, the administration cannot be trusted to protect students. When dealing with passive bullying within a friend group, I was pressured by adults to speak up and be honest about what was happening. Once I did, the administration twisted my words and punished me instead. They essentially extorted my vulnerability and used it to scapegoat me rather than helping.This school failed completely in its duty to provide a safe, fair, and emotionally secure environment. I highly urge parents to look past the academic ratings and consider the severe impact this school's culture can have on a child’s well-being.