Like a Bad Penny, Donna Henry Turns Up in Khalil Leak Case; Grandmother of Murdered Toddler Exploited Ties to New Ro Dems

The Journal News is starting to ask questions about the death of Khalil Leak and focusing their attention on the judge in the Family Court case. Back in 2003, Kathie Davidson was pushed hard for the position of Westchester County Family Court Judge by the local New Rochelle Democratic party establishment. When a member of that establishment needed a favor, Davison obliged and now a two year old boy is dead.

‘Heartbroken’ judge faces scrutiny after Khalil Leak’s death

What the Journal News does not reveal in their article is the name of the grandmother at the heart of their story.

It is a name well-familiar with Talk of the Sound readers: Donna Henry.

Yes, the same Donna “Hardcore” Henry who, in 2009, improperly took a cell phone from a student at Albert Leonard Middle School containing the nude image of a middle school student, transmitted that image to her son and daughter-in-law, both employees of the school district, and then was briefly suspended before being reinstated with a job at the high school making more money. Talk of the Sound’s reporting on the security guard sexting incident was picked up in newspapers and web sites across the country including the Journal News, Associated Press, New York Post, Village Voice and others.

• Sexting School Guard Resolution Distributed Last Night at School Board Meeting
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• New Rochelle Security Guard Implicated in “Sexting” at Albert Leonard, Took Teen’s Phone, Distributed Images
• Security Guard at Heart of New Rochelle Sexting Incident Identified; Polow Knew
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• NEW ROCHELLE SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDS SILENCE ON ALBERT LEONARD SEXTING CASE; GUARD USED “POOR JUDGEMENT”
• Time to Tear Down New Rochelle’s “Facade of Rectitude”

That would be the same Donna Henry praised by Mayor Noam Bramson at a City Council meeting last fall where Roxy Stowe was appointed to fill the unexpired term of her late husband, James Stowe.

The absolute low point of the evening was the Mayor’s effusive, gratuitous singling out for praise, the remarks made by Donna Henry, a New Rochelle Board of Education employee who was briefly suspended by the school district last year over her involvement with child pornography. Saying “Donna Henry got it right”, the Mayor spoke of Henry in a jocular and warm tone. The Mayor had nothing to say about the Latina 7th grader who was humiliated and ultimately driven out of New Rochelle because Donna Henry, who is black, obtained, possessed and distributed a fully nude image of her which was then re-distributed by her son, also a school district employee and from there widely circulated among school district janitors, security guards and other school district and city employees. Apparently the Mayor is willing to turn a blind eye to child pornography when it means even the slightest political advantage and does not particular care about the Hispanic vote in New Rochelle.

As is common with the Journal News, the identified sources for the story are either Democrats who supported Davidson in her political career or people who otherwise have some vested interested in Judge Davidson. The only nominally objective source is an Iona College professor.

As a result of their source selection, Davidson is portrayed with words such as smart, fair, intelligent, highly motivated, compassionate, respected, impartial, judicious, quiet, straightforward, competent and reserved. In other words, the story is really an example of the Democrats rallying to project one of their own and, by extension, themselves with an assist from a newspaper that tilts reliably to the Democrats in every election for decades.

“She was trying to be fair and judicious, but this was just a bad mistake. I’m sure she just regrets it.” and “I was very pleased when she went into law. My husband (M. Paul Redd, who also chaired the Black Democrats of Westchester) and I both worked hard to have her elected a judge.” and “”I want to let her know I love her and that I’m so sorry that this happened. The practice of law is not a perfect science.”– Orial Redd, former chairwoman of the Black Democrats of Westchester, who nominated Davidson for county clerk in 1997.

“[She is a] very fair, straightforward and competent person. She proved her fairness when she alerted (DSS) that she would recuse herself from the case because she knew parties involved. They had confidence in her to stay on the case. She’s not that type of person who would do a favor for someone. She would do what the law requires. She’s always had a clean background.” — Reggie Lafayette, Westchester County Democratic chairman.

“I think Judge Davidson, being the very intelligent and compassionate person she is, will make the right decision close to 100 percent of the time. I see no reason not to support her now.” Tim Idoni, who as Westchester County Clerk is the highest ranking Democratic elected official in the county and who was Mayor of New Rochelle at the time Davidson was promoted as a judicial candidate and thus de facto heads of the Democratic Party of New Rochelle.

“No one has a crystal ball. The law does say that reunification of families is paramount. The state is not in the business of removing kids from their parents unless they absolutely have to.” — Jane Aoyama-Martin who, as director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center, has business before Judge Davidson’s court”.

The toughest it gets is a comment from Cathryn Lavery of Iona College who says the connection to Donna Henry is “a little troubling.” A little?

In the article, Davidson’s background is described as black, Democrat, political activist (she was arrested in 1996 for an act of civil disobedience). She has strong ties to the Democratic party which appointed to the New Rochelle Zoning Board of Appeals, gave her a career in Westchester politics and nominated her for Family Court Judge.

Of all the quotes in the article, the most telling remark comes from Reggie Lafayette who volunteers that she has a “clean background” and is not the “type of person who would do a favor for someone.” In his answer, Lafayette reveals the Democrats motivation — to make sure that the rather obvious allegation that Donny Henry, a well-connected black political activist with deep ties to the Democratic party, influenced her decision to return the child to Henry’s daughter.

Here is what I would like to know. Was Donna Henry arrested along with Davidson back in 1996? Anyone know?

Photo Credit/Judge Davidson — Joseph A. Parisi/The Mt. Vernon Inquirer Newspaper.