After a knowingly false complaint by Marianne Sussman that I had not made an attempt to fact-check a story reported on Talk of the Sound I thought about the sourcing issue here in New Rochelle.
The problem is that both the City Manager, Chuck Strome, and the Superintendent of Schools, Richard Organisciak, have put out the word that they do not want their employees responding to requests for information from me. In Organisciak’s case, he actually sent a letter to administrators and building principals telling them they must refer all inquiries to him (which he then ignores) and another letter informing building principals and security staff that I am “banned” from school property except for purposes of attending a public meeting or event or for matters related to a child enrolled in a particular school. Further, in violation of New York State law, going back to December 2008, the school district refuses to comply with FOIL requests that I make. This is a crime but it would require an attorney to file an Article 78 complaint with the court and I am not prepared to spend money on that.
Obviously, many, many people are willing to talk to me off-the-record, not-for-attribution, on-background or any other way where their identity is not even hinted at; this because like New Rochelle residents generally, many municipal and school employees are afraid of retaliation.
I have referenced this from time to time but we have so many new readers over the past year that likely few of them know of these policies by our various government officials. The hope is, apparently, that if they ignore my inquiries I will not report a story or people will believe them when they make disparaging comments about me or Talk of the Sound or that someday I will just go away. Obviously, that approach has not worked. At the same time, I have gotten a bit lazy in not adding a note that my attempts to get information from official sources have been made and ignored. To address that I am going to try and remember to add a disclaimer to the bottom of articles about the school district and the City government.
For the school district, I will use something like this:
DISCLAIMER: By previous written policy directive, Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak has ordered administrators and building principals in the City School District of New Rochelle not to response to requests for information from Robert Cox and/or Talk of the Sound. Further that Robert Cox is banned from school property except for purposes of attending a public meeting or event or for matters related to a child enrolled in a particular school and that the school district refuses to comply with FOIL requests made by Robert Cox — both of which are violations of New York State law. Talk of the Sound makes a reasonable effort to get official, on-the-record comment from school officials but this is made all but impossible due to district policy.
For the City government, I will use something like this:
DISCLAIMER: By unofficial policy directive, City Manager Charles Strome has let it be known that City workers are not to co-operate with Talk of the Sound on stories beyond what is absolutely, affirmatively required by law such as FOIL requests. The exception being the New Rochelle Police Department which has regularly responded in a courteous and respectful manner to requests for information from Talk of the Sound. Talk of the Sound makes a reasonable effort to get official, on-the-record comments from City officials but this is made all but impossible due to district policy.
