"[The East Ramapo school board] continues to act with impunity, failing to have submitted its diversity training plan despite the December 31 deadline and commissioning new $650/hour lawyers to appeal rulings that they've violated state regulations. With this meeting now cancelled, the board will have conducted regular business in January for less than 40 minutes, much of which was spent in executive session or approving a way for board members to indemnify themselves against lawsuits. This is both highly disrespectful and negligent."
Above: Some of the members of the East Ramapo school board in 2011
This letter was sent to the named politicians:
Dear Governor Cuomo, Speaker Silver, Senate Leader Skelos, Senator Flanagan, Senator Carlucci, Assembly Member Nolan, Assembly Member Jaffee, Assembly Member Zebrowski and Commissioner Berlin,
With a day's notice, citing an anticipated lack of quorum, the East Ramapo School Board has cancelled today's scheduled public board meeting -- the second time in three weeks -- and does not appear to have rescheduled it. This is shocking not only because the board ought to be making extra efforts given that it is under intense scrutiny, but also because now there is no public forum for citizens to ask questions or make comments about a $40 million bond vote scheduled for February 3.
Despite [governor-appointed fiscal monitor] Hank Greenberg's [critical] report [on the board's functioning and alleged misuse of funds], this board continues to act with impunity, failing to have submitted its diversity training plan despite the December 31 deadline and commissioning new $650/hour lawyers to appeal rulings that they've violated state regulations. With this meeting now cancelled, the board will have conducted regular business in January for less than 40 minutes, much of which was spent in executive session or approving a way for board members to indemnify themselves against lawsuits. This is both highly disrespectful and negligent.
If Mr. Greenberg's conclusions were not damning enough, the board's subsequent actions are a clarion call for the strongest possible legislation for a monitor to oversee the actions of this board in real time and provide vision and direction for this ailing district. You cannot act soon enough.
Thank you in advance for your support,
Andrew Mandel
Alumnus, East Ramapo School District
Co-Organizer, Strong East Ramapo
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