School Board Votes Down BOCES Contract in Political Retaliation
By Niall Fitzgerald A local school board is facing a political firestorm from residents, after voting down a BOCES contract as political retaliation, and being called out for illegal political hiring discrimination. Last Wednesday night, the East Meadow School Board held a meeting where residents questioned why the Board voted down a Nassau BOCES contract. BOCES provides essential services to approximately 1,800 special-needs students across Nassau County. Last month, several Board members had been caught pushing a radical sex and woke agenda on district students, and backing illegal discrimination in hiring teachers. Local parents - and BOCES administrators - expressed their opposition to the Board majority's politics. The now-angry Board majority then voted down a BOCES contract renewal - and then admitted that it was in political retaliation. Local resident Deborah Kirsch told the board that she was "outraged" over the Board's improper actions in voting down the contract, and charged the Board majority for voting down the contract in illegal political retaliation. Last month, a video surfaced showing a school administrator, David Casamento, talking about implementing a covert "political agenda" by not hiring conservative teachers. Casamento discussed "blackballing" conservative applicants to teaching positions, by giving them fake low scores when they apply, to block their hiring. Former East Meadow Superintendent and current BOCES President Dr. Robert Dillon subsequently wrote to the school board voicing his displeasure with Casamento’s illegal and underhanded agenda. School Board Members Alisa Baroukh and Matthew Melnick then wrote a letter in response to Dillon, saying that they would be contacting BOCES and reporting him to state licensing authorities, for opposing their agenda. Melnick admitted on Wednesday night that the Board majority struck down the BOCES contract to “send a clear message” to Dillon. Melnick went on to add he wanted to make it clear that Dillon’s outspokenness against a political policy by the School Board was both “unacceptable” and “unprofessional.”