Crowd Implores Board Of Ed To Reinstate Beloved Suspended Teacher

MATTITUCK, NY — "Mentor." "Father figure." "Best teacher." Voices filled with tears and fury, a stream of students past and present, parents, community members and friends filed to the microphone at Thursday night's Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education meeting to echo the words and implore the board to reinstate Steve DeCaro, a physics teacher and award-winning baseball coach suspended on Oct. 9 — coming to bat for a man they consider close as family.

It's the second time a suspension has packed the meeting room: In August, supporters similarly pleaded for the reinstatement of a longtime and beloved fourth grade teacher Donna Finnigan.

Thursday night's meeting began with new BOE president Charles Anderson said that the specifics of the suspension could not be discussed due to privacy and personnel reasons.

Mattituck-Cutchogue School Superintendent Jill Gierasch said she and High School Principal Shawn Petretti had worked together to find a leave replacement for "highly qualified" Regents and AP physics teacher who has taught for more than 10 years and is recently retired; he has not been hired yet but, pending paperwork and BOE approval, he would be welcomed to the staff.

The BOE would make the final decision about DeCaro, Anderson said.

The new hire will also offer extra help to students with an eye toward providing a "seamless transition," Gierasch said.

During the public portion of the meeting, parents begged the board to reconsider, calling the suspensions "an attack on teachers."

Mattituck mom Lauren Gilbert wrote a letter to the editor and sent it to Patch: "I grew up on the North Fork and attended Mattituck School for my entire elementary and high school years. My experience was more than favorable and my husband and I felt we were lucky to be able to send our boys to Mattituck Schools. Being a small town, I was happy to see that small town feel spill over into the school. You know most of the staff and faculty either personally or from glowing recommendations from other parents. When your child walks through the halls, past teachers remember them and will often ask how things are or how they are doing in a certain sport. It’s a feeling of community in the school but, unfortunately, that has recently been overshadowed by a sense of uneasiness," she said.

"In the past few months there have been two teacher suspensions. Both of these suspensions have caused a public outcry due to these teachers being longtime beloved and sought after educators for our kids. I can say personally, this has been very upsetting to not only me but also my 10-year son who had one of these teachers last year. And I am not the only one," she wrote.

At the BOE meeting in August, more than 100 parents and students flooded the room with some reading letters to the board in support of Finnigan, she said. "And still, even after hearing our pleas, the suspension has not been lifted. To say I am upset is an understatement. Teachers are the backbone of our children’s education and as parents we need to fight for them."

The district, she said, is "hiding behind legalities," something she said was "more incriminating" that offering an explanation. Not only do parents entrust their children to the administration but, "We also pay your salaries," she said.

At the meeting, she added that it was "no secret" that she placed the blame on the administration, especially the "new hire," Gierasch, who took the helm after former Superintendent Dr. Anne Smith retired this year. "Those were big shoes to fill, when Dr. Smith retired — and I hope they are filled properly," Gilbert said.

Everyone who spoke echoed the same urgency, applauding one another and giving standing ovations and cheers of support for DeCaro.

One after another, for two hours, supporters took to the microphone to plead for DeCaro's reinstatement. "It's the second month of the school year and we have another teacher suspended," said Kathleen Delaney, a grandmother who said she never thought she'd be back before the BOE. She asked why a teacher of Finnigan's caliber would be suspended, "her reputation and career ruined. Many of us do not know the facts," she said, adding that the administration should not jump to suspension. "We live in a small community and we stand up when something is not right. We, as parents, have a right to know what's going on in our school. Our taxes support this school."

She added that she was fearful the suspensions would keep good teachers from applying in the district, moving forward. "We have a great school. Let's keep it that way."

(Patch photo courtesy Susan Tyler)

Heartfelt testimony for a teacher, coach, friend

Somber and determined, young athletes and students spoke from their hearts about a man all said has changed their lives.

One student said, of DeCaro: "Our coach, every day before lunch, he says to his senior class, 'Drive safely. Have a day.' He always mentions how he will be there for us, with extra help, or in our personal lives. He always pushes us to be our best, in the classroom and for those who play baseball."

Another student added: "Coach is more than just a teacher or friend. He's someone we will remember for the rest of our lives. I've formed an unbreakable bond but for those who haven't gotten to know him, I'm sorry. . . For now, you're out of luck."

Coach DeCaro has had a "father-like impact on my life," one student said. "I pray you make the right decision."

Another student, a senior, spoke from the heart: "My AP physics teacher and coach has been suspended until further notice and I'm not going to remain silent." DeCaro, he said, "changed my life in countless ways," from extra help in physics class to core character values and traits. "Coach is the identity and soul of our school. We cannot afford to lose him."

He started a petition among students and garnered 200 signatures in four days, about 43 percent of the student population, he said. Ninety-nine percent of those asked, "jumped on board" to help their teacher and friend, he said. If the BOE decides not to reinstate DeCaro, he said: "You would not only be making the wrong decision, you will be saying you do not listen to your students. You will be silencing the voices of a large portion of the student body. You represent us. We elected you. So don't let us down."

Student Jon Lisowy then spoke: "I am standing up for who I believe in — and that is him. We cannot let one of the most impactful teachers slip through. He has taught me the importance of integrity and to never give up."

It would be "a tragedy," he said, "to close this chapter without him seeing me through." He said he'd made a video with 37 clips by those influenced by DeCaro but the BOE declined to let him show it at the meeting; the BOE said they would watch it either together or individually.

"One day our teacher and coach is there, the next day, he is gone."

Christopher Nicholson, a junior and baseball player, expressed his disbelief: "One day our teacher and coach is there, the next day, he is gone. This is very hard for some of us. He's a huge part our lives — on the baseball diamond and off. This man taught us important values that will stick with us throughout our lives. How could such an important person disappear from our lives?" At first, he said, he was in disbelief, then decided to speak out and to help with the petition. "He's a vital part of Mattituck. It's not even a question of should Coach be allowed back. It's a question of how soon. It's unbearable to think of Mattituck without Coach."

Another mom read a letter from her son, who graduated in 2015 and said with DeCaro's suspension, the sense of hometown, of community, was lost: "Home doesn't feel like home anymore. Mattituck has changed, and has not changed for the better. . . I would do anything for this man. He has been there for so many students and now it's time to return that favor."

Mom Bridget Marine has four children in the district: "This is a fight for Mattituck," she said. "We need a teacher whose style has proven to be effective year in and year out." She said DeCaro has "drastically increased" enrollment in physics, from 17 students to 75, with a 90 percent passing rate. DeCaro, she said, has a five-star rating on a site devoted to teacher rankings. "We need a teacher students will remember for the rest of their lives," she said.

Student Savvas Giannaris also reflected on DeCaro: "It feels terrible to know I will not be able to shake Coach's hand on my graduation day and here his final, 'Have a day,'" he said. The decision to suspend DeCaro has "sparked massive disappointment" and his absence leaves students ill-prepared for the future.

Parents echoed that concern and asked what the lapse in education in an AP class, coupled with students who were traumatized by the experience, would mean to their education.

Parent Chris McDonald asked if the board would revisit Gierasch's contract after six months. "I want to thank the superintendent in her very short tenure making another record attendance at a Mattituck board meeting," he said. "You brought the school and community together but I just wonder if it's for the reasons that you think."

Another mom, Janet Dickerson, said DeCaro was her son's greatest "motivator" in varsity and in life.

Another student, who graduated in 2016 said she was "appalled" by DeCaro's suspension. "I feel it's my duty to defend one of my favorite teachers. Not only was he my physics teacher but a father figure to me," and her classmates, she said. "People make mistakes. . but letting him go would be letting a piece of Mattituck go. Let his legacy live on."

Mike Ryan said he's proud to call DeCaro a friend and he hoped with "every fiber in his being" that the BOE decided to keep him on.

Another woman questioned the "punitive" decisions being made in the district.

Former student Chris Carr, in an emotional statement, said he remembers his greatest disappointment as not having a senior locker. "I can't even imagine what these seniors, juniors and sophomores will be going through, knowing that they won't be able to have senior year with Coach," he said.

Former student Ryan McCaskie said, of DeCaro: " He left a huge impact on me .. more than I thought was even imaginable. I wasn't going to take his class but so many people told me to, because of the experience. He taught me more than physics. He taught everyone life decisions to make and supported everyone, no matter what."

Marguerite Kitz, a Mattituck resident who teaches in Wading River, said her son, in college, "begged" her to speak for his Coach, who, she said, "has the sense of joy we moved her for. It would be sad to lose our incredible sense of community because someone wants to make a difference for themselves, not the community. . . You may have caused an earthquake in an otherwise calm, pristine community."

Charlie Nicholson looked pointedly at the board and reminded them that all are human, and all make mistakes, including some on the board who "have been in the paper for your mistakes. Did you lose your careers?"

Anderson ended the meeting and said due process, and an investigation, must occur. He said he was happy to see so many turn out — the district was comprised of "superstars," he said — but not for the reason why they had attended in such great numbers.

After the meeting, Gierasch said, in an email to Patch: "I understand that parents and the community have questions regarding Mr. DeCaro and his teaching assignment at our high school. Mr. DeCaro is entitled to his right to privacy so I am unable to share the details regarding this decision. Our top priority is to always ensure that our students are educated in a safe and secure environment that promotes success. I want to share with our parents that we are progressing in securing a physics teacher who can fulfill our instructional needs and will support our goals for all students. In addition, we will be providing some after-hours instruction for those students who may feel they need extra support over the next two weeks. I will be keeping parents and the community informed as we move forward and I am hopeful that a replacement can be approved very soon.”

DeCaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Patch photos by Lisa Finn.