Laurita says she was at the Franklin Lakes Public Library with her son Nicholas, who has autism, when they were asked to leave. 'Time to go back and educate them,' she said.
Jacqueline Laurita, former cast member on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” is criticizing her local library after she said her son Nicholas, who has autism, was asked to leave.
Laurita, 47, who lives in Franklin Lakes, posted videos of her son on Facebook over the weekend showing him at the library. In the clips, Nicholas, 8, can be seen holding and tapping DVDs at the library before putting them back. He can also be heard making moderately loud sounds.
“Keep it down, Nick,” Laurita tells her son in one video. She says that after library staff asked them to leave, Nicholas threw a fit.
“I guess non contextual vocals & tapping (twice) on the (DVDs) are frowned upon,” Laurita said in a post. “He had a meltdown as I struggled to get him to leave. Not one person offered or tried to help, or even opened the door for us. They just watched me struggle to get him out… as asked.”
“My heart hurt so bad for the both of us after I got him out of there,” she continued. “The day before he had such a great experience there. I wish everyone understood #Autism. Time to go back and educate them! Time for inclusion.”
Laurita’s autism advocacy and Nicholas’ diagnosis were subjects on the Bravo reality show.
“Our policy of inclusion is demonstrated daily,” the library’s board of trustees said in a statement Monday night. “Our staff has years of experience catering to patrons who are physically challenged, visual or hearing impaired, as well as special education students from our public school system, and developmentally delayed children and adults.”
“No patron is ever asked to leave the library unless and until their actions are depriving other patrons of the ability to enjoy our services.”
Nicholas is the son of Jacqueline and her husband Chris Laurita, who has also appeared on the show. Chris is the brother of former cast members Caroline Manzo and Dina Manzo.
Laurita was a main cast member in the original season of “RHONJ” and over five seasons in total before transitioning to a “friend of the Housewives” role in the sixth season. She left the reality show after returning to a main cast member role in the seventh season, when she was consistently at odds with former friend Teresa Giudice.
This post has been updated with a response from the library’s board of trustees.