Stephen Price and Suzanne Young-Mercer abruptly resigned from the
nine-member board Tuesday because they said it had become “exceedingly
difficult” to serve on the board due to a lack of information from the
superintendent and continuous intimidation from haredi and Orthodox
board members.
East Ramapo school board president Daniel Schwartz
The Only Non-Orthodox East Ramapo School Board Members Resign Over Alleged Haredi-Orthodox Harassment And Intimidation
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
And then there were none.
The last two non-Orthodox or non-Jewish members of the East Ramapo school board have resigned, the Journal News reports.
Stephen Price and Suzanne Young-Mercer abruptly resigned from the nine-member board Tuesday because they said it had become “exceedingly difficult” to serve on the board due to a lack of information from the superintendent and continuous intimidation from haredi and Orthodox board members.
“This has become an intolerable situation and one that I can no longer abide,” Young-Mercer, who was elected to her second three-year term in 2010, wrote in her letter of resignation.
Price’s letter cited a “continuing pattern of harassment and intimidation” that made it almost impossible for him to do his job, also noting that he was denied access to district information, was “wrongfully accused of religious discrimination,” and was threatened with legal action by the board’s majority.
Price also wrote that he made numerous requests to Superintendent Joel Klein for financial data and other budget information but his requests were “ignored and the scant information that I did receive was generally incomplete or inaccurate. Consequently, without any reliable information, I felt that I had to abstain from voting on many financial and budget decisions that came before the board. For the same reasons, I do not feel that I will be able to participate in upcoming 2013-2014 budget discussions in any meaningful way.”
Young-Mercer recently discovered that decisions were made by Klein without her knowledge. She was “floored” when she found out that the district owed the Board of Cooperative Educational Services $5 million.
“I feel that these decisions jeopardized the educational progression of East Ramapo students as well and the students of neighboring Rockland County school districts. Consequently, I have concern that there may be other important decisions that are being made without my knowledge or input,” she wrote.
Young-Mercer and Price were the only trustees of the nine-member board who are not Orthodox or haredi. The seven-member Orthodox-haredi majority send their children to private Jewish schools.
A class-action lawsuit was recently filed against the seven Orthodox board members and school administrators, claiming they have misused public money and illegally funneled it to yeshivas.
The remaining board members can authorize a special election to be held within 90 days to fill the two empty seats or it can appoint people to fill the seats until the next election.
But if the board does not fill those seats within the 90-days, the BOCES superintendent can step in to fill the vacancies.
[Hat Tip: Devorah.]