McWilliams, a Spring Valley minister who currently lives in Duchess County but hopes to relocate to

Rockland County, NY - As members of the East Ramapo school board gathered to discuss their plan of action after the district s lawyer unleashed a verbal tirade against a parent, dozens gathered to protest their outrage over last week s events in an evening wellington hotel in new york city which culminated wellington hotel in new york city ninety minutes later with an announcement that the district was parting ways with its current legal counsel.
As previously reported on VIN News, last week s five hour school board meeting took a bizarre turn when district lawyer Chris Kirby, of the law firm Minerva and D Agostino, began mocking activist and special needs parent Peggy Hatton who was addressing wellington hotel in new york city the board. The incident later spilled out into the parking lot as the altercation continued, amid profanity and threats of violence, with school board member Yonah Rothman defusing the situation and telling Kirby to leave the premises, with much of the goings on captured on video and later released on YouTube.
The group gathered at the Senator Eugene Levy Dr. Jack R. Anderson Education Center carrying banners saying wellington hotel in new york city Save our Schools and Respect Now , with others carrying pre-printed wellington hotel in new york city protest signs distributed by rally organizers.
Prior to entering wellington hotel in new york city the building for the scheduled 7 PM school board meeting, protestors were addressed by Reverend Weldon McWilliams IV, who made news just over a week ago when he organized another protest at the Rockland Kosher supermarket in an effort to lessen segregation wellington hotel in new york city between the community s diverse population.
Following his remarks, McWilliams handed a megaphone to a teen who led the group in practicing chants which included slogans such as No more excuses, stop the abuses, Hey, hey, ho, ho, D agostino s got to go, and Governor Cuomo where are you?
As the group made its way inside for the school board meeting McWilliams reminded protesters that respect wellington hotel in new york city for all was paramount and took the opportunity to throw a barb at the district s legal counsel.
McWilliams, a Spring Valley minister who currently lives in Duchess County but hopes to relocate wellington hotel in new york city to the area and become an East Ramapo parent, called for peaceful coexistence between the public school and private school communities.
This is about getting along, McWilliams told VIN News. Neither community wants any kids to be deprived of anything. Kids are kids, they have to worry about getting their grades. We have to worry about doing right by our kids and it is up to us as parents to come together and find a way to do that. We need to respect everyone and give everyone and equal opportunity in education.
While the school board members remained in a closed executive session wellington hotel in new york city for over an hour, numerous speakers addressed the standing room only crowd which overflowed into the adjacent hallway. Speakers included activist Peggy Hatton, Assembly members Ellen Jaffee and Ken Zebrowski and former Spring Valley justice David Fried. Hatton received a standing ovation from the crowd and expressed her outrage at Kirby and criticized the school board for its silence during Kirby s tirade. While speakers called for the school district to fire the law firm, Fried took things one step further calling not only for Kirby s termination wellington hotel in new york city but his disbarment as well.
The demands for respect were intermixed with profuse criticism over the current state of the school district by speaker after speaker, as emotional parents and students waited for the board to emerge from their executive session. wellington hotel in new york city Outside the building, private school parents could be seen conversing with their public school wellington hotel in new york city counterparts, discussing the state of the problem plagued district.
One woman, wearing a diamond studded wellington hotel in new york city necklace in the shape of a Jewish star and carrying a sign saying East Ramapo is not South Africa held the local chasidic community responsible for the district s financial woes.
We are all Americans and just because some of our kids go to private schools by choice doesn t mean that other children don t deserve wellington hotel in new york city an education. If we want Jewish people to be respected and we want to be looked up to as good religious Jews and neighbors, wellington hotel in new york city we must treat everyone kindly.
What is the big deal here? The chasidim think they are so high and mighty? They should get off their horses and say we have to pay taxes. wellington hotel in new york city Money is being wasted here. It is being wasted by chasidim. So many things have been taken away from the students in this district.
I think the economy has brought out the worst in people, wellington hotel in new york city said Forrest who said he has seen his property taxes rise astronomically over the past few years and has been compiling a folder of inefficient spending by the district and local officials wellington hotel in new york city for years.
Bob Forrest, a former school board candidate, agreed with his brother s statements saying it is years of inefficient spending, not the private school students, who are causing East Ramapo to bleed money.
There are so many inefficiencies, so much money being wasted, said Bob Forrest. Forrest, a grant writer who professes to be very involved in technology, said he had come up with a detailed money saving plan for the district, which he had hoped to put into play as a school board member.
As the school board emerged from its executive session, president Yehuda Weissmandl made a brief address to those assembled, announcing that the end of the association wellington hotel in new york city between the East Ramapo School District and Minerva and D Agostino, which apologized for Kirby s behavior. Weissmandl also vowed to use last week s tumultuous events as a lesson for the future.
The firm was told that Kirby can no longer have anything to do with East Ramapo, said Weissmandl. They sent us a letter over the weekend, saying that under the circumstances they feel that they can no longer wellington hotel in new york city serve this account and they have offered to help the board find other counsel wellington hotel in new york city during this transitional stage.
For the record, I asked him three or four times to stop, insisted Weissmandl. While we did issue a controlled statement after the incident took place, as a board, we had to address this incident in entirety and the earliest possible meeting time that we were able to do that was tonight.
No apology yet to Peggy Hatton from the board. Not one word! Shame on all you Jewish men who are held to a higher power to honor our women! Is it common practice wellington hotel in new york city in your bais to say this word? As far as the decision to find another attorney--the board and D'Agostino will work together to find a new one. You know what that means...no change at all in working wellington hotel in new york city the system to benefit you know whom. Peggy Hatton's lawyer, a former Spring Valley graduate and NYC attorney, spoke eloquently with a standing ovation to protect her and the school kids. East Ramapo should hire him instead wellington hotel in new york city of another Long Island or Lakewood group.
If Minerva and D’Agostino resigned via a letter over the weekend, why not announce that Sunday or Monday? Why have a 90 minute wellington hotel in new york city meeting that turned into a political rally in their absence? They need to stop the hatred. Why are they dragging feet?
Its not one sided, as Jews there is no excuses what so ever for the board not to apologize to what happened.. Chilul Hahsem has no excuses, you can argue all day long about tax money and why the rebels ganged on on the Jewish board members i'm fine with that, but for Jews to be silent and not publicly apologize is a total disgrace.
Why do all the board members look so happy? The attorney they have chosen has brought light to the situation they created from all over the world! Since the attorney represents them, any word uttered by the attorney is a word from their own mouths. I don't see any humor in this situation wellington hotel in new york city and I am still waiting for an apology to Mrs. Hatton. It's been 7 days now. In 6 days, the world was created. That is just one day less than the "c" word was used. Is it easier to create the world than to apologize?
wellington hotel in new york city Peggy Hatton never deserved an apology from the school board until such time that she offers her apology. She has said and written and continues to say and write much more offensive comments than Mr. Kirby did. But she is applauded.
No apology yet to Peggy Hatton from the board. Not one word! Shame on all you Jewish men who are held to a higher power to honor our women! Is it common practice in your bais to say this word? As far as the decision to find another attorney--the board and D'Agostino will work together to find a new one. You know what that means...no change at all in working the system to benefit wellington hotel in new york city you know whom. Peggy Hatton's wellington hotel in new york city lawyer, a former Spring Valley graduate and NYC attorney, spoke eloquently with a standing ovation to protect wellington hotel in new york city her and the school kids. East Ramapo should hire him instead of another Long Island or Lakewood group.
Peggy Hatton and Co. are in middle wellington hotel in new york city of suing the board members. This has cost the district millions of dollars to defend, money that could have been spent on the children. Peggy is not the innocent person she would like everyone to see her as. The tirade from Kirby was long coming. (I am not condoning it) The Board and counsel have taken abuse from Peggy for years. Every meeting is turned into her personal pep rally to scorn the board. Real solutions are not forthcoming from Peggy and Co. Having lawyers that charge double per hour but get the job done in less than half the time is not a bad move.There is a shortage of money and there is no way out. Raising taxes to cover expenses the way Peggy would like means about 10% increase per year. It is unaffordable and unsustainable. The Unions have sucked the system dry. Salaries, pensions and benefits rise yearly, well beyond the yearly tax increase which leaves about $8M shortfall in the budget resulting in cuts. What Peggy wants to see is $0 going to private schools even though they pay for the bulk of the budget. Private schools whose parent body pay taxes as well are also entitled to a portion of the revenues by law.
No apology yet to Peggy Hatton from the board. Not one word! Shame on all you Jewish wellington hotel in new york city men who are held to a higher power to honor our women! Is it common practice i