Schools, Mother to Seek to Resolve Complaint

A mother’s continuing complaint about the treatment of her 9-year-old son by some staffers at Hillcrest Elementary School in Peekskill is a step closer to a meeting that will seek to resolve the matter.

The Fremont Street resident told the Board of Education during the hearing of citizens Tuesday night that “Some teachers have a problem with African-American students,” noting that her son sometimes came home in tears. “You need to address this issue,” she said.

Darrell Davis, chairman of the Committee for Justice, echoed her concerns, saying “there is no excuse” for teachers to refer to African-American students with disparaging words.

“You need to take complaints seriously,” he said, and offered to meet with school officials regarding the Hillcrest situation.

Dr. Larry Licopoli, interim schools superintendent, promptly agreed to such a meeting, saying to Davis, “I accept your extended hand.”

Board members noted that they could not respond immediately to a complaint involving a staffer, adding that they would need details about the incidents before they could make a decision. Later in the meeting, President Michael Simpkins said, “We need to resolve this” as the board prepared to go into executive session to discuss the complaint.