F.U.S.E. President Martin Daly, in a newsletter communication to union members, wrote that recent parent meetings at Jefferson Elementary School and Isaac E. Young Middle School were painful but essential if “the district, staff members, parents and students are going to rebuild the trust that has been badly shaken by the allegations against Mr. Martinez.”
In the newsletter, Daly said that many parents who spoke at the meetings supported the school district but there was some “serious criticism” for the way in which district administrators communicated with parents. The district relied almost entirely on their “CONNECT ED” system where automated calls are made to deliver pre-recorded messages. Many parents claimed that they never received any “robo calls” despite having provided their phone numbers to their child’s school.
The newsletter also contained a carefully worded statement on who knew what and when.
School district officials, building administrators and staff members were clear there were no complaints about Mr. Martinez that remotely indicated he was capable of committing the crime of which he is accused. Complaints received about his job performance were typical of complaints received about any administrator responsible for discipline and suspensions, and district administrators stressed that nothing in his employment history either in New Rochelle or New York City reflected any indication that he would ever engage in the sexual abuse of a child.
It is worth noting that although not an official statement from the District, the sentence “complaints received about his job performance were typical of complaints received about any administrator responsible for discipline and suspensions” constitutes a significant narrowing of previous statements by school district officials.
Talk of the Sound has previously reported that at least a half dozen district employees made complaints, in meetings or in writing, about Mr. Martinez conduct — closing the shades to his office while meeting with boys, locking the doors to his office while meeting with boys, giving boys money, candy, pizza and gifts. Some of the district employees expressed specific concerns that Martinez might have been engaged in inappropriate behavior but these concerned were dismissed by administrators at the building level and central office.
