New Rochelle School Board Promotes Racist Custodian at Jefferson School

Written By: Robert Cox

Six months ago Martin Freiman was serving out a 30-day suspension without pay for making racist remarks at Jefferson School but this week all was forgiven as Freiman got a promotion and a nice BACKDATED raise going back to February which would be shortly after returning from his suspension. His annual salary is now $69,487 plus whatever back pay he gets which will do nicely to offset the lost earnings during his 30 day suspension.

TOS Readers will recall we reported last December that the school board suspended a Jefferson employee without pay over racist remarks. Back then we wrote:

At the board meeting on December 16th, the school board went in to executive session and came back to announce a resolution that a “civil service” employee would be suspended for 30 days without pay.
Talk of the Sound has learned that the person suspended is an an employee at Jefferson School. The person was accused of having made racist remarks, sources say. These same sources told TOS that the suspended employee has a history of similar racist behavior. Word is that the school board was not eager to take significant disciplinary action in the case; anyone who was present at the board meeting could see that board member Martin Sanchez played some sort of role in the board action taken last week. While seated with the board he could be seen nodding as Cindy Babcock-Deutsch read the resolution, as if to say he was satisfied with the action taken by the board to suspend the employee.

Not coincidently, it was Sanchez who cast the single “no” vote on the resolution passed by the school board last night:

RESOLUTION No. 09-259-C
POSITION TITLE UPGRADE:

RESOLVED, that have been certified by the Municipal Service Commission the position title upgrade of Martin Freiman, Custodian, from Grade 12 to Grade 13, with appropriate salary change, Step 4, plus night stipend. $69,487 per annum effective February 14, 2009, be and hereby is approved.

So, what’s the message our school board is sending to employees when they condone making racist comments – you get suspended without pay for 30 days, then you got all the money back in the form of a backdated pay increase, you get a promotion and a higher salary. In effect, the “punishment” for Frieman was a 30 day PAID vacation over the Christmas holidays, a promotion and a raise. Gee, with deals like that we might see David Duke hired as the Principal at Trinity School!

25 thoughts on “New Rochelle School Board Promotes Racist Custodian at Jefferson School”

  1. Racism Promoted
    Why is it a surprise that racism is promoted and “condoned” in New Rochelle. Only people who participate in it don’t see it.

    1. Custodian Test.
      It would’nt surprise me if Mr. Purdie promote this racist to Head custodian in the future. Board members will not go for it.

      1. He is now an Assistant
        He is now an Assistant Custodian,he will screwed up sooner rather than later. He is behind Doug like a sheep dog, crying that he can’t sleep in the day.

  2. Providing for a family…
    …is one of the most important role a parent can make. Does this freiman guy have a family to take care of? Is he a hard working custodian? You wouldn’t bother to answer any any of these questions.

    1. Hardworking racists…
      …are still racists.

      Mr. Freiman is perfectly free to earn a living and support his family. That does not mean that a public school district should employ him or any public entity.

      In the case of the New Rochelle School District, I have listened many times as school board members and administrators have talked long and loud about the wonderful diversity of our schools, that this is an important value of the district. So, someone explain to me how you can TALK about diversity and tolerance and then employ a man with a long track record of making racist comments.

      It would be nice, for once, to see the BoE walk the walk.

    2. Providing for a family??
      I would love to answer these questions. YES he does have a family. Do YOU have a family? Do YOU have a job? I am sure YOU do. Think about YOUR job for a minute. Are there procedures at YOUR job? Are there rules at YOUR job? Are you bound by the same laws that Marty has to abide by? I am sure YOU have answered YES to all MY questions. So, given that we agree on all the above, this last question should put this to bed. Would YOU jeopardize the well being of YOUR family and YOUR job by doing something that you KNEW was wrong? I don’t think so.
      Oh…i forgot to answer one of YOUR questions. Is he a hard working custodian? Well, if you take into consideration he has been moved from school to school for valid reasons…i think not!

    3. Freiman
      Let’s wait and see what happen. We all has family just like you and Freiman.

    4. Freiman
      working tools,include flashlights,greese guns, air hose,light bulbs,rubber gloves,hand trucks,please return these things to Jefferson Elm,please Martin.
      There is invoice to prove what was bought for Jefferson Elm.Let’hope these things are not been stored at Webster Elm or New Rochelle High.

  3. Martin(The Racist)Freiman.
    Were found guilty on all charges. I would hope that the members of the board send a strong message to the rest of the closet racist that is working for the school district.I think this guy should be at least demoted and attend some type of anger management class,because he is now a certified racist working with the BOE,which is not good. BOE need to do the right thing.

    1. Incorrect information
      Where do you get your information from? As of this date the decision on this case is still pending.

      1. Freiman
        Martin Freiman was found guilty,that’s for sure.
        Penalty phase is the next step.

  4. Martin(The Racist)Freiman.
    I have a picture of Mr. freiman,that i would like to be posted on the blog. How do i get it to you.

  5. Martin(The Racist)Freiman.
    This Freiman been a racist all is life.Back in 2002,2004,2005,2008 this guy been making racist remarks to co-workers and the New Rochelle Board of Education still have this racist rat on the payroll.
    He was fired from Bakkar Towing Company in the Bronx for making racist remarks to a co-worker.Everyone is waiting to see what the outcome going to be with this racist. One hope that the BOE get to the bottom of this. There was a hearing in March,as to what to do with this racist. People of color is waiting to see what the hearing officer and the BOE going to do to this racist.This Martin(The Rat)Freiman has no place working for the BOE,it’s a shame. If he was black,the BOE would have find a way to get rid of him long time ago. The way it look’s to black people if you are white you are right.

    1. There was a hearing in March?
      Who convened this hearing? When, where, who, what, why, please! We want details.

      1. yes there was definately a
        yes there was definately a hearing held a few months ago that has yet to produce a decision…

      2. Please keep us informed on this case
        Anything else you can tell us in the meantime?

      3. as soon as I hear of the
        as soon as I hear of the decision I will let you know..mind you Slotkin does NOT want him back there..they will just take a problem and move it to another school.

      4. He should be fired.
        Only in New Rochelle can someone like that be promoted. In Harrison the police officers who put racist remarks and sexually explicit cartoons of the town supervisor on facebook were punished for what they did. One officer was demoted. This Martin Frieman should be fired ASAP sending a message of zero tolerance for this type of behavior.

      5. Martin(The Racist)Freiman.
        Freiman was kick out of Trinity Elm,Columbus Elm,Barnard Elm, Davis Elm, Jefferson Elm. He is now work at New Rochelle High School on 11:00pm-7:00am shift. The BOE is trying to hide this racist from the public.No one has anything good to say about Freiman,not even is so call friends.He does’nt do nothing when he’s at work, but play solitaire on the BOE computer and smoke cigarette all day,that’s all this guy do.

        NOTE: You can send us email here:

        http://www.newrochelletalk.com/node/29

      6. Martin(The Racist)Freiman.
        Mr. Freiman(The Rat) is demoted to Assistant Custodian,effected 7/01/09. A convicted racist should’nt be working for the school district.I know Martin was a racist, when he was living at the habor house APT with his wife and kids.The words that always come out of his mouth,always be racial jokes.He always have a bad name to call co-worker,this guy does’nt learn from his mistake.
        With him at NRHS,he is still calling co-worker out of there names,and it’s going to catch up with him, because tape recorder will tell the truth.Freiman should be a shame, but he is a ass kisser and a over weight rat.He is trying to rat out Doug and the rest of the 2nd shift crew. What a fat rat,all he need now is 2 pounds of cheese to grow a tail.

      7. Was this the “secret topic” at the school board meeting Tuesday?
        and does this mean that the hearing is now over and a decision made?

      8. Freiman The Racist.
        The hearing took place at City Hall 2nd floor, March 6th 2009.

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