By: Richard L. Smith
The family of two teenage brothers who drowned during an open swim session at a Bayonne public school pool has agreed to a $26 million settlement, closing a civil case that attorneys say exposed serious failures and misleading statements by school district staff.
Attorneys for the family of 19-year-old Chu Ming Zheng and 16-year-old Jack Jiang said depositions, surveillance footage and witness accounts showed the Bayonne Board of Education did not properly staff the Lincoln Community School pool on June 8, 2022 and later misrepresented those facts to investigators.
According to the family’s attorney, Darryl L. Zaslow, the settlement was finalized on Nov. 13 after a hearing mediated by the judge. Zaslow said the family previously rejected a $14 million offer before agreeing to the higher figure.
“Everything pales in comparison to the loss of these two children,” Zaslow said. “They know the boys aren’t coming back, and the family has decided to settle.”
The payout will come through the New Jersey Schools Insurance Group’s North Jersey Educational Fund, a public insurance pool used by districts to share coverage and risk-management costs.
Surveillance video reviewed by the family’s attorneys shows one lifeguard walking away without urgency after noticing the teens in distress.
District policy required three lifeguards on duty, but only two were working that night, attorneys said. One lifeguard testified he “didn’t get wet” during the incident, while the other, assigned to the kiddie pool, became overwhelmed and was only able to rescue one brother.
A civilian swimmer ultimately pulled the second boy from the bottom of the pool.
Attorneys said several staff members falsely stated three lifeguards were present, despite video proving otherwise.
They also allege administrators failed to enforce basic safety protocols, had no emergency action plan and allowed inadequately trained staff to run a crowded public session. 
No on-site safety drills were in place at the time.
Zheng had just completed his freshman year at the University of Miami. Jiang was a student at Bayonne High School.