Hempstead protests superintendent's removal

Religious institutions in the Hempstead community have banded together to protest the removal of Regina Armstrong from her position as superintendent of the Hempstead school district.

“In recent years, (Armstrong’s) work with the school board, her work with Hempstead School District, has caused some great improvements, and for the school board just to dismiss her without any real reason that I know of was a great concern, not only to me, but (to) concerned clergy and many members of the community,” Reverend Phillip McDowell, pastor of the South Hempstead Baptist Church and moderator of the Eastern Baptist Association, said. “I think what I really would like is for her to get a job back and her name to be cleared.”

According to McDowell, who has known Armstrong as a member of the parish and as an educator, three religious organizations have come out in protest of Armstrong’s sudden removal from her position as superintendent. Eastern Baptist Association, the Long Island Council of Clergy, and Baptist Pastors Conference of Hempstead and Vicinity have all rallied together in support of Armstrong, and McDowell said there may be some other religious groups that might also join the movement.

Reverend Ralph Taylor of the Emanuel Baptist Church Majestic Ministries feels that Armstrong should return to her position because of the positive changes she has made to the district in her time as superintendent, including raising the graduation rates to over 80 percent each school year. 

“She’s done a stellar job in her role as superintendent,” he said. “She captained the ship through Covid, and her reintroduction was used as an example for other school districts and bringing school students back to school.”

“She’s done an excellent job, and to dismiss her is simply nonsense, especially given their reasoning for doing so,” Taylor added.

As the Herald previously reported, Regina Armstrong was removed from her superintendent position in the first week of the new school year after five years in the role.

“This removal was not caused by anything criminal but the last incident in a series of incidents that contributed to the breakdown in trust between the Board of Education and the superintendent,” Victor Pratt, the Hempstead Board of Education president, previously said in a statement to the Herald.

The Hempstead Board of Education held a meeting on Wednesday night, where Taylor said the board members went into executive session to privately discuss the matter for two hours and did not make any comment afterwards.

“This is a personnel matter, and we have no comment,” Sylvia King-Cohen, spokesperson for the Hempstead school district, said.