How long will Freehold Township schools be closed after 'cybersecurity event'?

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - School administrators are investigating a cybersecurity incident that forced the district's schools and offices to close on Monday, officials said.

Assistant Superintendent Dianne Martello Brethauer, assistant superintendent for Freehold Township Schools said on the social media platform X Sunday night that schools would be closed for the day due to "technical difficulties related to a cybersecurity event."

School board members had little information beyond what the district said. And they didn't yet know how long the district would be closed.

School closed: Freehold Township schools closed Monday because of 'cybersecurity event'

Michael Amoroso, president of the Freehold Township Board of Education, said Monday morning that he had little information beyond the school's statement and didn't yet know how long the school would be closed.

When will Freehold Township go back to school?

"There’s an ongoing investigation," Amoroso said. "We’ll certainly make an announcement about (Tuesday's schedule) when the time comes. There’s people working on it throughout the day.”

The school district serves students kindergarten through eighth grade in Freehold Township. It includes five elementary schools, two middle schools and an early childhood learning center.

Cyberattacks aren't new to Freehold Township. CentraState Medical Center in December 2022 was hit by a hack that forced it to temporarily divert ambulances to other hospitals. It later notified more than 600,000 customers that the hackers potentially obtained access to names, addresses and Social Security numbers.

We will follow this story for further developments.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter at the Asbury Park Press who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Freehold Township NJ schools closed after 'cybersecurity event'