Calls For Brewster Schools Trustee To Resign Over Facebook Posts

BREWSTER, NY — A petition demanding the resignation of Brewster schools Trustee Krista Berardi over two Facebook posts about George Floyd's death and a subsequent protest has gathered 1,127 signatures in seven hours.

The Board of Education goes into closed session at 5:30 p.m. and according to the agenda it is anticipated that a motion will be made to convene an executive session to discuss matters that may lead to the possible removal of a Board of Education trustee. Upon conclusion of the executive session, the Board may return to public session at 6:30 pm to take action.

The petition, started by Brewster student Emily Sullivan, cites and shows screenshots of two posts and states: "These inflammatory and racist remarks are unacceptable and she should not be allowed on a Board of Education that serves students of all races. Brewster and the surrounding area has seen a number of BLM protests and demonstrations over the past two weeks. Anyone who has pledged to serve the children of Brewster must not harbor any bias in regard to racial issues and that is clearly not the case with Krista Berardi. We ask that she is asked to resign from her position, as a show of solidarity to the BLM movement in Brewster."

The first post suggests that Floyd's death in Minneapolis was staged. The second was posted after Berardi was caught in traffic on I-84 when protesters in Danbury, Connecticut shut the highway down.

An art teacher, Berardi was elected in 2019. "Our community is close-knit, diverse and thriving!" she said in her biography on the school district's website.