Parents v East Ramapo School Board: Another Suit

Parents handed papers to members of the East Ramapo Board of Education last night as a group called Advocates for Justice announced it was filing a lawsuit against the trustees.

The meeting was packed with angry district residents and their supporters plus the media. It had been moved to Kakiat School to accommodate more people, as the last meeting room could not fit the turnout.

The district, which includes parts of the communities of New City, Pearl River, Nanuet, Spring Valley, Suffern, New Hempstead, Chestnut Ridge, Monsey and Wesley Hills, has 9,000 students in its schools. However, another 24,000 school-age children live there, and go to private schools—mostly yeshivas.

District officials are already in court fighting parents. That suit covers many of the parents’ allegations against the district, including accusations that the trustees sold or rented district facilities to yeshivas at below-market rates; paid for religious textbooks for yeshiva students; and provided preferential special-education services for yeshiva students.

RELATED:

• East Ramapo’s Legal Fees Excessive, Court Rules
• Letter to the Editor: East Ramapo School Board: Big Crowd, No Quorum

“The will of the people has spoken,” said Martha Iris on the Get Up Stand Up East Ramapo Facebook page. “They will no longer stand back and allow the board to continue to abuse the system and rob the children of their future.. Their voices are being heard everywhere. And, make no mistake they will succeed because they are standing in their truth.”

PHOTO: A large crowd at the Aug. 4 East Ramapo school board meeting/Len Tsou