Trustee alleges bullying, retaliation and improper settlement talks; other trustees dispute some claims

A Connetquot Central School District trustee accused three fellow trustees of bullying and of engaging in undisclosed settlement discussions involving legal counsel and state officials, and said she had filed ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and other discrimination complaints with state and federal agencies.

Allegations and claims

Trustee remarks: One trustee said she lives with a documented hearing disability and described an August 28 episode she characterized as bullying and harassment by three trustees. She alleged that, beginning in April, the board majority engaged in secret settlement talks with counsel and the State Education Department and that thousands of dollars of taxpayer funds were spent on drafting a settlement the public was not informed about. She said the actions violated prior board votes and a March 2023 resolution outlining process for a mascot change. She told the board she had filed ADA complaints with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the New York State Division of Human Rights. She said repeated incidents had undermined her ability to perform board duties and that she would remove herself from settings where she felt attacked.

Responses during the meeting

Other trustees responded during the public-board-topic segment. One trustee said the accommodation issue had been addressed earlier and that no reasonable-accommodation request had been on file; she denied screaming and said board members had expressed opinions one at a time. Another trustee apologized if seating arrangements had caused difficulty but denied intentionally ignoring a disability and rejected the corruption allegation. Trustees agreed they did not want to continue a "he said, she said" exchange and said the matter had been or would be addressed through appropriate procedures.

Why it matters: The allegations involve board conduct, use of legal funds and statutory disability protections, and the complaints were described as filed with state and federal enforcement bodies. Those are governance matters and could prompt investigations or formal procedures that affect board operations and public trust.

What the transcript shows and what remains unclear

- The trustee making the allegations named three trustees (April, Mals and Melissa, in her remarks) and described specific events on Aug. 28 and Sept. 2 that she said involved shouting and dismissive comments about her disability.

- Other trustees responded in open session, disputing some factual points and stating differing recollections. One trustee said she had answered the trustee's email and cited publicly available legal documents as a source of requested information.

- The transcript records that ADA and state complaints were said to have been filed; the meeting record does not show documentation of those filings presented to the board during the meeting nor any board vote or executive-session findings shared in public session.

Ending

Board members urged a return to board business and said they would rely on formal processes for addressing personnel, legal or governance disputes. The meeting record shows a public airing of serious allegations and public rebuttals but does not record further formal action at that meeting to resolve the claims.