Tenafly mayor calls for council president to resign after arrest on child porn charges

Kyle Morel, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read
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The Tenafly mayor is calling for the borough council president to resign after he and his son, both employed in a K-8 Bergen County school district, were arrested on child pornography charges Thursday.

Mayor Mark Zinna, in a statement to NorthJersey.com, said he was "shocked" to learn that Council President Jeffrey Grossman, 65, had been arrested Thursday afternoon. Grossman and his son Steven Grossman, 24, were charged with second-degree possession of child pornography by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office following a search of their Tenafly home.

"I think it is in the best interest of the borough that Mr. Grossman steps down in order that the people's business can continue uninterrupted and without distraction," Zinna said.

Both men were employed by the Rochelle Park School District: Jeffrey Grossman as a teacher and Steven as a social worker and substitute teacher. The two were immediately suspended and are prohibited from coming to the school or contacting any student or staff member, district Superintendent Sue DeNobile said in a letter to the community Thursday.

"The district is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all of our students," the letter read. "The administration and school counselors are prepared to provide support to any student or family who may need assistance as a result of this information."

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Jeffrey Grossman is running for reelection to the Tenafly Council next month on a team with newcomer Beatriz L. Pelaez-Martinez. Martinez did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

The Grossmans' arrests were the result of an investigation that determined the men "used the internet to view, download and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children," the prosecutor's office stated. They were placed in the county jail in Hackensack pending their initial court appearances.

Police departments from Tenafly and Hasbrouck Heights assisted in the investigation along with the county sheriff's office.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Tenafly NJ mayor calls on council president to resign after arrest