Carmel School Trustees Announce Stand Against Hate, Misinformation

CARMEL, NY — Members of the Carmel Board of Education have issued a statement addressing some of the attacks on the school district in the past year.

Their statement came after a school board candidate, Robert "Bobby" Palazzo, withdrew from the race when many of his more racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant and Islamaphobic social media posts were exposed. SEE: Candidate Withdraws From Carmel School Board Race Over Bigoted Posts

May 9, 2022
Dear Carmel Community,

At Carmel Central School District, we are committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive learning environment where all students feel safe, included, welcomed and accepted. Racism, discrimination and marginalization of any people or groups of people, whether intentional or not, has no place in our District or our community.

As a Board of Education, we are guided by our district’s Mission, Vision and Core Values in all that we do, and we have an ethical duty to stand up against all types of hate and discrimination, and the spread of misinformation. We neglect our responsibility as leaders if we simply ignore it and allow it to permeate the foundations of our community.

There is a clear difference between civil discourse and what is happening in society. The Carmel School District community is not immune.

We have seen our students, staff, fellow trustees, community members and others be victimized by defamation and hate of the worst kind. We have heard from students who are afraid to be themselves. Members of our faculty and staff have been targeted and smeared on social media and by other means. Members of our Board of Education have been slandered and falsely accused of some of the worst crimes in the human condition.

Remaining silent while someone is attacked and hurt is to be complicit in the pain. We have remained quiet for too long.

As trustees of the Carmel Central School District Board of Education, we unanimously denounce all forms of racism, bigotry and hatred. We remain committed to providing our community with facts, building trust, dispelling misinformation, and creating a socially and emotionally safe learning environment for all.

As a community, we must work together to ensure that our district continues to be a place where all members feel safe to be themselves and feel supported in becoming lifelong learners in an ever-changing world.

In solidarity,
Eric Mittelstadt, President
Matt Vanacoro, Vice President
John C. Curzio II, Trustee
Debra Heitman-Cayea, Trustee
Matthew Morello, Trustee
Melissa Orser, Trustee
Jason Paraskeva, Trustee

ALSO SEE:

• Putnam Parents Challenge Book On Summer Reading List
• Yorktown Argues Over School District's Diversity Initiative
• Carmel Schools Chief Resigns, Cites Fake Twitter Account
• Anti-CRT Group Congratulates Lakeland On Superintendent's Ouster
• After Racial Slurs, Lakeland Teachers Urged To Show Support
  
• Clarkstown Filled With Argument Over Student Slideshow
• Cox Out As Superintendent Of Clarkstown Schools