A Newburgh man was arrested on Tuesday after gaining entry to both New Paltz Middle School and New Paltz High School earlier that day.
Ben T. Kooperman, 18, was arrested at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16 and charged with two counts of criminal trespass in the 3rd degree, a Class B misdemeanor; and one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the 2nd degree, a Class D felony.
A New Paltz police officer was speaking to a school administrator at New Paltz High at around 8:20 a.m. when a cafeteria staff member notified the pair that someone claiming to be a student had entered the school through the kitchen. According to police, Kooperman was refused entrance through the cafeteria, but was later let in through the front entrance after posing as a student. Kooperman fled after being confronted by the officer and administrator, and after a brief foot pursuit was apprehended in a wooded area near the campus bus garage.
The high school was placed on a lockout while law enforcement investigated the incident, at which time police were notified that Kooperman had gained entry to the middle school earlier that morning where he was confronted by staff and fled. Kooperman had allegedly been seen engaging in reckless driving behavior on the SUNY New Paltz campus before entering New Paltz Middle School.
Kooperman was arraigned by New Paltz Town Justice James Bacon and released on his own recognizance. He is slated to return to court on Tuesday, April 23. Kooperman was issued a stay away order of protection for the entire New Paltz Central School District.
At a meeting of the New Paltz Central School District Board of Education on Tuesday, deputy superintendent Linda Oehler-Marx said the district was cooperating with police during their investigation and would be reviewing safety protocols in New Paltz schools moving forward.
“Safety is our primary concern and we will be examining all aspects of our safety plan and our procedures to ensure that we provide a safe environment for everyone,” Oehler-Marx said. “There will be some immediate changes that people will see. We’re changing our entry protocols at the high school and then we have been evaluating entry activities in the middle school and there will be more information to come as we go through the process. We have also requested an increased police presence in the buildings tomorrow.”
Join the family! 
