Tempers flare after some call for pair of trustees to resign

Frustration with the Sewanhaka Central High School board of trustees reached a boiling point during a board meeting on Tuesday with several members of the Elmont community calling for the resignation of trustees Michael Jaime and Dr. Tameka Battle-Burkett.

A petition on change.org has collected nearly 500 signatures calling for both members to resign.

The Elmont Elementary School District comprises six elementary schools, which are represented by seven trustees, two of whom are selected among themselves to represent Elmont on the high school level on the Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education. The high school district comprises five high schools, in Franklin Square, Elmont, New Hyde Park, Garden City Park and Floral Park.

Jaime is president of the central high school district and Elmont Elementary School board, and both Jaime and Battle-Burkett were voted into the elementary board earlier this year. Jaime ran unopposed and was reelected with 701 votes and Battle-Burkett, vice president of the elementary school board, was re-elected, defeating opponent Fiormelissa Johnson by a vote of 536 to 282. Both have three years left on their terms.

Much of the outrage by community members centered around the unexplained leave of absence by Elmont Memorial High School principal Kevin Dougherty, who administrators said took a sabbatical, which resulted in protests and anger from students and parents. Dougherty was reinstated to his position at the school on Oct. 11, and school officials announced during the board meeting that Jon Johnson, Ray Ramos and Pastor Curtis Thompson, all mentors of the Men of Elmont program, which Dougherty created, will be allowed to return after they were barred from school premises.

During the meeting community members also expressed concern that the Men of Elmont program would merge with My Brother’s Keeper program. The Men of Elmont program was founded by former President Barack Obama, and while community members do not oppose the program, many believe the groups should remain separate.

Sheldon Meikle, a former school board member, said that after the lack of communication from the board on the Dougherty sabbatical, changes must be made.

“These representatives represent Elmont on the high school level, and I don’t know what they were thinking, but removing a principal that was so endearing not only to the community but to our students because he started the Men of Elmont club,” Meikle said. “I don’t know how this whole thing came about, but they (the trustees) need to be removed because of their decision-making process.”

Community member Kenny Young said that the Dougherty situation was the last straw, but there have been other issues simmering within the community.

“This is not just about what happened with Mr. Dougherty, it’s always been about being very dismissive of the needs of the community,” Young said.

During last week’s board meeting, community members also raised questions about term limits for board members and how the board determines if a trustee should be banned and for how long. Two board members who are voted to the elementary board select among themselves who should represent the school at the high school level and therefore can’t be voted out of their central high school district positions.

Community members also asked if there was a district policy regarding the hiring of family members of trustees and why school board meetings are not live-streamed online so that community members unable to attend in person can view or participate. Jaime said that the board would look into these issues.

The school website addressed other questions asked during the board meeting, such as how the district can get a better “pulse of the community” other than at the Board of Education meetings. Board members said they are researching the survey tools some of the county’s school districts use to get that information from their communities.

PTSA President Lynette Battle said that community tension will only ease if board members make an effort for transparency.

“If people who are elected to represent you don’t feel the need to include you or meet with you to talk about what they’re working on, that’s problematic,” Battle said. “As a PTA president, I try to foster goodwill and get to the bottom of things to get to a happy medium. I believe that there’s something that can be done. You can’t tell me there isn’t.”