Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
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Friday, May 17, 2024
Vol. 73, No. 20
N E W H Y D E PA R K
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN DEMS CLAIM SECRET LESSON DRAWS OUTRAGE MILITIA MEETINGS
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Herricks heads to the polls
M O T H E R ’ S D AY
7 candidates run for 2 trustee seats B Y T AY L O R H E R Z L I C H
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE TAKACS
Residents celebrate moms at the first Mother’s Day Parade in New Hyde Park.
Herricks OKs $35M for abuse claims District bond would cover settlement of 17 remaining Child Victims Act lawsuits BY TAY L O R H E R Z L I C H The Herricks Board of Education approved payment of up to $35 million in bonds to settle 17 child sex abuse claims against the district at a meeting Thursday night. The district has paid more than $1 million thus far to settle four of the 21 total sex abuse claims against the district.
One case against the district is still on trial, Assistant Superintendent for Business Lisa Rutkoske said. Herricks won one case in March when the district was found not negligible in the first Child Victims Act case against a Long Island school district to go to trial. With the pending $35 million settlement of the 17 remaining claims, all cases against the district
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Herricks district residents are heading to the polls on May 21 to vote on seven candidates vying for two board of education seats and a $141 million budget that includes the cost of child sex abuse claims. For one seat, Incumbent Trustee Brian Hassan is running for re-election against Maria Bono, who has been active on PTAs. Newcomers Ravinder Ratra, Surendra Gupta, Shaheda Quraishi, Eric Lo and Russell Stuart are running for the seat left vacant by Trustee Nancy Feinstein, who is stepping down from the board after serving for 12 years. An issue top of mind for candidates and residents alike is the cost of lawsuits filed against the Herricks district under the 2019 Child Victims Act, a law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for child sex abuse survivors. Some 21 lawsuits against Herricks were filed by former students who claimed they were abused between 1973 and 1991 by then-school psychologist Vincent Festa. In the cases that went to trial, plaintiffs alleged that the district ignored initial reports of abusein the 1980s, thus permitting the abuse to ensue. Continued on Page 38
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except one will be closed, Rutkoske said. The 2019 Child Victims Act extended the statute of limitations for survivors of child sex abuse. The temporary law, which was in effect through 2021, allowed survivors more time to press criminal charges against offenders and more time to file a claim for money damages. Prior to the act, child sex abuse
survivors had between one and five years to bring a civil lawsuit against their abuser, with that one- to fiveyear period starting once the victim turned 18. The 21 lawsuits against Herricks were filed by former students who claimed they were abused between 1973 and 1991 by thenschool psychologist Vincent Festa. In Continued on Page 37
LAST WEEK TO VOTE! VOTING ENDS MAY 24 WINNERS ANNOUNCED JULY 5, 2024! https://theisland360.com/bonscontest/