After BOE Member Resigns Over 'Harmful' Comments, Seat Open, For Now

RIVERHEAD, NY — A seat left vacant after Riverhead Board of Education Vice-President Laurie Downs resigned last week — amidst controversy over "harmful" statements she made — will remain empty until the upcoming BOE election in May, the district said.

District Clerk Lisa Rheaume, on behalf of the BOE, addressed the vacant Board of Education seat in a message to the Riverhead community last week.

"The Board of Education has chosen not to fill the vacant seat at this time," she said.

According to Rheaume, the vacancy will be added to the upcoming budget vote and school board election on May 16. There are currently three board seats open; the terms of each will commence on July 1 and run through June 30, 2026, she said. The three candidates receiving the first, second, and third highest number of votes will be awarded those seats. The candidate receiving the fourth highest number of votes will be appointed to the newly vacated seat. That person's term will begin on May 17 and continue for the remainder of Downs' term, which was slated to end on June 30, 2025.

BOE members Christopher Dorr, Virginia Healy and Therese Zuhoski are the three whose seats are up for reelection. According to Rheaume, Healy picked up a candidate packet, Zuhoski is not running again, and Dorr's decision was not yet known.

Downs resigned last Monday. Downs apologized for comments she made at a recent civic association meeting, during which she expressed concerns about crime in town and reportedly said, "I don't want us becoming a Brentwood."

Last Tuesday, Downs issued a statement, saying that she was resigning immediately from the Riverhead Board of Education.

"I think this is an important first step in bringing about the healing of the pain my words have caused," she said. "I don't want my behavior to further distract the leadership of these school districts from providing quality education to all students."

Downs added: "I want to again apologize for the hurt and pain I caused the Brentwood, Riverhead, and other school communities across Long Island. I recognize the harm that my words have caused, and I am truly sorry for that."

Downs said she understands that her words were "harmful, hurtful, irresponsible, and not representative of the communities I named. I have heard incredible youth activists, political representatives, alumni, and parents, and I recognize that I was perpetuating stereotypes and stigmatizing already marginalized communities. For that, I am remorseful and deeply, deeply sorry."

And, she reiterated that her words did not represent the thoughts or values of the other six Riverhead Board of Education members, the superintendent, administrative staff, teachers, parents, or students in the Riverhead School District.

"When I ran for the school board, I never imagined I would hurt a child," Downs said. Both Riverhead and Brentwood School districts exemplify diversity that strengthens their communities, not weakens them, she said.

"I should have instead used my platform to highlight the positive effects that Latino heritage and culture have had on the school districts," she added.

According to a post in Riverhead Local, Downs was speaking about her concerns about possible gangs, and that students were getting jumped and robbed; Riverhead Town Police Chief David Hegermiller said the data did not support those fears.

The comments were made at a Heart of Riverhead Civic Association meeting on March 18 during which Hegermiller was engaging in a dialogue with the public.

Her remarks sparked a response from the District 1 Youth Advisory Board in Brentwood and others: "By sensationalizing the issue of gang violence, Downs has contributed to a harmful narrative that perpetuates fear and misunderstanding," the group said. "This type of rhetoric only serves to reinforce negative stereotypes and promote discrimination against communities like Brentwood. While it is important to address the issue of gang violence, Down's statements only serve to stigmatize and further marginalize already vulnerable communities."

A press conference was held last week at Riverhead High School with Suffolk County Legislator Sam Gonzalez, Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, Riverhead Central School District Board of Education President Brian Connelly, and others, including Minerva President, executive director of OLA and Tia Fulford of the Butterfly Effect Project speaking out.

Gonzalez said he wanted to address the "offensive and unfortunate statements" made by Downs. "I am not clear about the motivation behind it," he said. "I do not know if she makes them out of ignorance. I do not know if it's racism or malicious intent."

But, he said, her message was "hateful," filled with "segregation, racism, and racial profiling," and demeaning to students in both districts.

Aguiar, as the first Latina town supervisor in Riverhead or on the East End, said the best thing about Riverhead is its diversity. Downs' comments, she said, were "divisive, deliberate," and "unfairly targeted the Hispanic population in Riverhead."

Connelly, BOE president, said he believed Downs' resignation was the first step in a necessary healing process. He also reiterated an earlier statement that the BOE that her words did not reflect the feelings of the board in any way.

Fulford said while she has known Downs for years and said she has advocated for children, it "does not negate the hate she spewed. You can be a good person and do a bad thing."

She said Downs' resignation wasn't enough. "It's too easy," she said, to Downs. "I need you to own your own mess, to educate yourself. This is not enough."

On the same day Downs resigned, a teen was assaulted and cut with a knife on the way home from school.

Then, on Friday, Riverhead High School was put on a "hold-in-place" response after two students found bullets in the hallway; one 14-year-old was arrested, officials said.

Friday's lockout left some students terrified and parents questioning security procedures at the school.