New Jersey high school football parent banned from son's graduation

A disagreement over a football player’s role on a New Jersey high school football team has now cost a parent his opportunity to watch his son graduate. According to a NJ.com report, an Ocean County football parent will have to watch the outdoor graduation, scheduled for today, from a public sidewalk/street because of the dispute.

Michael Ollendorf, a parent of a Point Pleasant Borough High School football player and graduate, has been barred from school district property by Point Pleasant superintendent Adam L. Angelozzi. Per the report, the reasons for Ollendorf’s ban from district property stems from several disputes with the school regarding his son’s playing time on the Panthers’ football team.

One of the disputes involved Ollendorf, per the NJ.com report, being detained by law enforcement and charged with disorderly conduct. The report details Ollendorf yelling irately at football coach Brian Staub, athletic director William Fall, Superintendent Adam Angelozzi, Point Pleasant High School Vice Principal David Kirk and other school officials at a 2023 game.  

“However, without going into specifics, the District’s decision in this instance was based on multiple instances of inappropriate conduct over a period of time directed towards and against multiple staff members,” Angelozzi said to NJ.com regarding Ollendorf’s ban.

“The District remains committed to following all applicable laws, policies, and regulations in its decisions and actions, as we have done in this matter. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priorities.”

According to a Point Pleasant Patch.com report, frustrations had boiled over by the fourth game of the Panthers’ season during a 42-14 victory over Long Branch High School. During the contest, Ollendorf became increasingly more upset as the game wore on and by the end, had begun cursing and yelling at the aforementioned Point Pleasant officials.

Tempers had flared to the point that Ollendorf got in the face of law enforcement, which forced their hand in arresting the football parent. Later on, Ollendorf would plead guilty to disturbing the peace.

The 2023 incident wasn’t the only instance, though, that led to Ollendorf’s ban. Another was a private phone conversation between the football parent and Fall, when Ollendorf was displeased with his son’s playing time in a 2024 40-7 win over Colts Neck High School.

Per a Patch.com report, Ollendorf and Fall were on a phone call, but unbeknownst to the former, Point Pleasant principal Kurt Karcich was also on the phone listening in via speaker phone. The call then escalated into yelling, cursing and by accounts of the athletic director, principal, threats made towards them.

Angelozzi filed a police report after he tried contacting Ollendorf a couple days after the initial phone call with Fall and Karcich, in which the football parent had made what was perceived as a threat made towards the superintendent.

Though no charges were filed from the 2024 phone call incidents between Ollendorf and Fall, Karcich, Angelozzi, the school district decided to ban Ollendorf, who denied the allegations of any threats being made.

A social media post is out that plans on protesting at the Point Pleasant High School graduation. Ollendorf has come out and said publicly that he won’t have anything to do with the planned protest.

“I don’t condone it. I don’t want the graduation ruined for anyone, including my son,” Ollendorf said to NJ.com.