On Tuesday night, I once again appeared before the school board, still waiting to get a response from the District for an investigation into why there are TWO different and incorrect versions of the graded answer sheet for my son’s Chemistry Regents Exam from 2007, a fact which I reported to the District back in May. This time there were a few new twists.
The school board did not even wait until I had begun to speak before interrupting me. I had yet to utter a word of my prepared remarks when, as I settled in at the podium to address the school board, a clearly hostile and irritated board member, David Lacher, began to lecture me on school policy, then insisted that since the District required students to follow a certain school dress code in school buildings that I should follow that same dress code in speaking before the board. I politely declined at which point David Lacher and Mary Jane Reddington escalated their interruptions, demanding that I follow the school dress code and repeatedly chastising me for being disrespectful of the board for not acceding to their demands regarding the dress code. It was all quite bizarre. Apparently it has yet to dawn on members of the school board that I do not respect the school board which I view as consisting primarily of people interested in fostering propaganda and covering up bad behavior by district employees. Cindy Babcock Deutsch finally interrupted David Lacher and Mary Jane Reddington and told them to allow me to speak.
Of course that did not help for very long because I had barely completed the first sentence of my remarks when Cindy Babcock Deutsch interrupted me, telling me that I was not permitted to make remarks that did not pertain to school board business – an entirely new interpretation of “free speech” in New Rochelle. When I asked her to explain what that meant she was unable to do so. I was a bit surprised because I thought this matter had already been resolved – that in America people are allowed to exercise their free speech rights and their right to petition in public meetings held in public buildings. Between Cindy Babcock Deutsch, David Lacher and Mary Jane Reddington I would estimate I was interrupted more than two dozen times.
I was not permitted to complete my remarks because after all the interruptions I was not allowed to speak for my allotted five minutes. When I requested my full five minutes Cindy Babcock Deutsch claimed my time was up and then called for security to come into the room to prevent me from speaking further. The security guard then told me I had to sit down and stop speaking. I explained to the guard that the meeting was over, that it was a public building and I had every right to stand where I was standing and say whatever I wanted to say. As I said this he began to move closer to me, attempting to physically intimidate me. I continued to talk as board members left the dais and then left the room.
Here is the full text of my prepared remarks that the District repeatedly sought to prevent from reading to the board last night:
Let me tell you a few things about Maria Korn that she forgot to mention last week. Ms. Korn failed to mention that she works as a teacher’s assistant at Trinity School with the very teachers she praised. She was also the ringleader of the group of teachers who marched first graders around the school field last March, was reprimanded by Mr. McMahon, ordered to apologize to the students involved and required to send a letter to parents apologizing for her actions. This is the same incident Mr. Organisciak lied about to the Journal News.
Also last week we had the unusual spectacle of the Superintendent of Schools asking the board to adopt a resolution “supporting” MacMeniman’s Grill. Much was made of the good works of Brian MacMenimim. Ms. Reddington used the term “pro bono” work. What was not mentioned is that MacMeniman’s Grill is a contracted vendor to the district. Brian MacMenimim has been paid well over $100,000 by the district. I have here copies of 35 invoices and checks totaling over $130,000. This is to say nothing of meals and events that were expensed by District officials. Then there is the issue of family connections between owners of the restaurant and school officials which I will leave to another time.
A few other tidbits…
The district does not appear to provide FOIL information on its web site as required by law.
Anthony Bongo has repeatedly violated the NYS Clean Indoor Air Act by smoking cigars at Isaac Young Middle School.
My daughter’s image was uploaded into YouTube without my consent by the district in clear violation of district policy.
I have yet to a response to my request for an independent investigation into the mishandling of my son’s regents test.
My son retook that test over the summer. As part of a deal signed by the district his transcript was to be changed in a specific way. It was not. I have exchanged emails about this with Marion Katzive who has refused to correct the problem.
My son must apply to college starting at the end of this month. If this is not fixed you can expect me to start FOILing this district in earnest. I will start with expense reports for the past year of every administrator in the district, working my from the superintendent on down. When I’ve finished, I will start over again going back a year, then another, then another.
Finally…
There is no law that says it is illegal for speakers to reference district personnel at board meetings. On October 7th I was repeatedly interrupted, cut off and then Ms. Babcock Deutsche gaveled the meeting to a close while I was speaking all on the premise that such a law existed. I believe an apology is in order.
Of course, I did not know that the board would escalate its efforts to suppress my speech through childish taunts and attempts at physical intimidation, I did not know the school board would repeatedly engage in prior restraint. In either case, I guess I’m not getting any apology. Welcome to Stalinist New Rochelle!
You’re a loser Bob Cox
Get a life!
Cox
I don’t know you or any of the board members personally, but judging just by this site, you come off as just some agitated crank who likes to stir up trouble and get attention. You can’t gain much popular support with your approach. If there are real problems you think need to be addressed, try a more constructive approach and don’t take and make everything so personally.
Constructive Approach
I am open to hearing any ideas on a constructive approach in dealing with the school district.
What would you suggest? Please be specific.
Bob Cox
Dude
Fuck these New Rochelle bureaucrats and Fuck Cindy Babcock Douche
no one gives a damn?
If no one gives a damn then why are YOU writing about it?
And why I was repeatedly prevented from speaking because two board members sought to make an issue out of it?
It is not a completely lie that I wore my hat at the last three board meetings. However, I do know the only people who were at the last three board meetings were either board members or district employees. So which are you? Just another coward from the district, too afraid to be accountable for their own words and actions.
Instead of concerning yourself with my attire, perhaps you might be more concerned with the unethical and criminal conduct of district personnel.
I was wearing…
…baseball cap.
It was cold out. I came in at the very end of the board meeting and when I was called up I still had on my hat and coat.
I had no intention of wearing my hat while I spoke but left it on once they decided to make an issue of it.
If the board feels it is a sign of disrespect for me to wear a hat then rest assured I will make it a point to wear a hat in the future. 🙂
Your Hat
You wore a hat at each of the last three meetings, at least, which you attended and at which you spoke. So it is total crap that you had no intention of wearing your hat. No one gives a damn about how you dress. But even our toughest students know enough to take their hats off inside the buildings. Ask your son, whom you keep writing about. You might learn something from him. And why don’t you take a lesson from the real gentleman visitor, who takes off his hat immediately when he walks into the room.
Interesting older comment from another district a-hole
Funny how such a big deal is made over Bob wearing a hat or not. You let the filthy dregs wear their pants down around their butts , underwear on display , hats backwards in the classrooms. It’s attrocious and the district is to blame . Maybe YOU can explain WHY. Are you too scared to approach them? Terrified to try to enforce the dress code in the schools ? Maybe only the adult white people have to adhere to the code . I don’t know . Interesting though , when the board gets cornered and can’t defend what they did wrong , they shut down the meetings, SOP for them . More nonsense from the supreme hypocrites that make up the school board . Clean up the schools and perhaps people won’t be so critical of the board.
Clothing
What were you wearing?