_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
HERALD
2025 HIGH SCHOO L S P O RT S P R E V I E W
Also serving Lakeview
April 10, 2025
PLAINEDGE’S
LYNBROOK’S
BROOKE MAZZEI
OWEN DONNELLAN
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Vol. 32 No. 16 FOR THE
Burroughs speaks with constituents
Malverne swears in trustees
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Page 4
APRIl 17 - 23, 2025
24 TEAMS
$1.00
Cornwell Ave. teacher abuse accusations
West hempstead lions club hosts annual Easter Egg hunt Patrick and Conor McNeill take a photo with the Easter Bunny at the West Hemptead Lions club Easter Egg Hunt in Halls Pond Park on April 12. See more on Page 3.
teacher was abusive to a lot of different people.” The parents who filed the A former special-education legal claim — a precursor to a teacher in the West Hempstead civil lawsuit — are seeking a S c h o o l D i s t r i c t h a s b e e n $22 million settlement from the school district. They accused of physicalmaintained that ly and emotionally their child endured abusing students in “bullying, assault, his second-grade battery, harassment, classroom at Cornintimidation, diswell Avenue Eleability discriminamentary School, tion, pain and toraccording to an menting” at the attorney for the stuhands of O’Dwyer. dents’ families. Werksman said The parents of that other students one student filed a in O’Dwyer’s class notice of claim on were the targets of April 8, contending similar abuse. that during the 2023“He would physi24 school year, their cally hurt them,” child was locked in a Werksman said. “He dark closet, humiliwould taunt them, ated, punched and humiliate them, kicked by the teachshame them. And er, John O’Dwyer, NAThAN one student, in parwho no longer works WERkSMAN ticular, was dragged in the district. Attorney by the wrist into a “This was kind of dark closet by the ongoing and pervas iv e b e h av i o r, ” a t t o r n e y special-education teacher, who Nathan Werksman, who is rep- would then hold the door closed resenting the families of six as the child, a 7-year-old, would bang and scream and kick on children O’Dwyer is accused of abusing. “This was a classroom the door to try and get out.” Werksman added that the environment that was predatory, and this special-education Continued on page 28
By MADISoN GUSlER
mgusler@liherald.com
T
Holden Leeds/Herald
Civic members and residents spruce up the Lakeview area By MADISoN GUSlER mgusler@liherald.com
Residents joined members of the Lakeview Civic Association at the Lakeview train station last Saturday for a spring cleanup. More than 50 people showed up to help beautify the community. “This is an event that we look forward to twice a year to make sure that residents understand what it takes to keep a community beautiful — making sure they have an opportunity to
reinvest in their community, take pride in their community,” Lisa Ortiz, co-founder of the civic association, said. “The hope is that this will prevent littering, and make sure the children have an opportunity to engage in what’s happening, and how community works.” The semi-annual cleanups are widely supported by Lakeview residents. Nassau County Legislator William Gaylor and Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Laura Ryder sponsor the event Continued on page 10
his was a classroom environment that was predatory, and this specialeducation teacher was abusive to a lot of different people.