INCORPORATING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON VOL. 76 No. 23
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District workers placed on leave Election investigation begins after dispute The board has not made a public s t a t e m e n t o n why t h e e l e c t i o n’s results are being appealed nor for The Hempstead Union Free School why the two employees were placed District’s board of education elec- on leave. At a meeting on May 27, Pratt tions last month has become a matter of contention among board members. s p o k e a b o u t h i s i s s u e w i t h t h e On May 19, voters approved the board’s actions. “When these employees, the disdistrict’s $378.2 million budget and Trustee Victor Pratt won his bid for trict clerk and the district clerk pro re-election. The board is now chal- tem, were put on leave, it came with lenging the results of last week’s the stipulation of ‘pending an invesschool budget vote and trustee elec- tigation,’” he said. “These appointtion while placing two employees in m e n t s a r e d e f i n i t e . T h e s e a r e t h e cl e rk ’s o f f i c e o n p a i d appointments through July administrative leave, deepen2, and for the rest of the ing uncertainty over an elecschool year… What are these tion that voters had employees being investigated approved days earlier. for?” Throughout the week folIn a 3-2 vote, the board lowing the election, the ap p o i n t e d A l e x a n d e r H e rboard introduced a resolunande z as interim district tion to dispute the results clerk and Patricia Wilson and began an investigation Wright as district clerk pro into the election. At a board tem while the review continmeeting held shortly before ues. Pratt was “deeply troumidnight on election night, bled” by the turn of events. the trustees that were pres“I'm calling on this Board e n t , e x c l u d i n g P r a t t , VIctOR PRAtt of Education to immediately a p p r o ve d t h a t r e s o l u t i o n Board Trustee certify this election and without public discussion. respect the will of the votT h e b o a r d d i d n o t a c c e p t t h e ers,” he said. “I am also demanding results of either the budget vote or that district employees who are sent trustee election. Instead, Board Pres- home on administrative leave withident Jeffrey Spencer introduced a out explanation or justification be resolution directing the district’s reinstated immediately. No employee counsel, Guercio & Guercio LLP, to should be punished without due proappeal to the commissioner of educa- c e s s o r t r a n s p a r e n cy. E n o u g h i s tion. The board approved that resolu- enough.” tion 5-0 without public discussion. Spencer explained that the board D u r i n g a n e m e r g e n cy m e e t i n g would not take any questions regardthree days later, the board placed ing personnel matters at the meeting. District Clerk April Keys and Dis“The Board of Education is aware trict Clerk Pro Tem Lottie Whitehead of allegations of certain allegations on administrative leave as a part of COntinued On Page 5 the investigation.
By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO
jdalessandro@liherald.com
Joseph D’Alessandro/Herald
Program founder alan Hodish, left, outgoing nassau County Bar association President James Joseph, Hempstead town Clerk Kate Murray and past association President dorian glover celebrated another year of successful student mentorship.
Mentorship program wraps
Hempstead students learn from lawyers By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO njdalessandro@liherald.com
In schools across Nassau County, many young people are experiencing difficult times without a clear path to work through their emotions. Depending on a students’ needs and circumstances, school counselors may offer a unique solution of time with a trustworthy adult where the student decides how to fill that time. The Alan B. Hodish Mentorship Program celebrated the completion of its 29th year on May 21, hosted by the Nassau County Bar Association in Mineola. Nearly 200 students from nine schools sat with their mentors, shared a meal and expressed their appreciation for the time shared. “I was a teacher at what is now called Barack Obama in Hempstead, taught there for many years, then I went to law school at St. John's,” Hodish explained. “That's when we started this with a principal of mine and a couple of people here from the bar association. We
felt it was a good way to give back to youngsters, give them a good role model … it's a special day for them and a special day for us.” Throughout the mentorship program, students from across Nassau County met bi-weekly with members of the bar association, who visited their schools. When a mentor is assigned to a student, they are never told why exactly the counselor identified a need for mentorship; the premise of the program is to allow a student to have time away from expectations and assumptions that would exist otherwise. During the sessions, students have time to shape as they see fit: they can talk about their personal interests, their aspirations or, if they wish, the things that have been bothering them. The program is named after Alan Hodish, an East Meadow attorney specializing in personal injury, criminal law and education law. His previous career of 20 years was teaching in COntinued On Page 4
I
'm calling on this Board of Education to immediately certify this election.