Rockland County, NY – As tensions continue to escalate in the embattled East Ramapo School District after a school board meeting turned into an explosive confrontation between the district’s lawyer and a parent, one of the members of the school board expressed regret for not publicly rebuking the lawyer at the first sign of trouble.
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School board vice president Yonah Rothman can be seen attempting to defuse the confrontation in the district’s South Madison Avenue parking lot in a video that has been circulating on the internet and captured the disturbing incident which took place after a heated school board meeting, as previously reported on VIN News. This afternoon, In a telephone interview with VIN News, Rothman admitted he should have escorted lawyer Chris Kirby out of the meeting immediately after his verbal attack on parent and education activist Peggy Hatton.
“I should have jumped up and walked him out as soon as it happened,” Rothman told VIN News. “I was caught so off guard I sat there asking myself ‘did I just hear that?’ I could not believe a professional lawyer would speak that way and at this point I will agree with anyone who says I should have stood up and said something immediately.”
According to Rothman, soft spoken school board president Yehuda Weissmandl did try to reprimand Kirby and twelve seconds after the diatribe begins on the video, a voice can be heard in the background saying “Chris, Chris.” After allowing a parent in the audience to chastise Kirby and letting Hatton complete her remarks which included a scathing twenty two second rebuke of the board members, Weissmandl moved to quickly adjourn the meeting, one minute and four seconds after Kirby’s verbal tirade began.
Rothman called Kirby’s behavior deplorable and said it was seemed out of character for Kirby, adding that Kirby did seem uptight during the meeting.
“I am still floored,” said Rothman. “I have never seen Chris behave in this way and I can’t think of anything that would have warranted that kind of behavior. I couldn’t believe that that was Chris speaking.”
According to Rothman, Weissmandl escorted Kirby out of the meeting and walked him to his car, telling him that his behavior was unacceptable and directing him to go home, before he himself went home.
“No one dreamed he would come out of his car and seeing that happen, I was afraid they were going to come to blows,” recalled Rothman. “I tried to be the calming influence and told him he had just made a serious mistake.”
Rothman can be seen on the video asking Kirby to go home multiple times, telling him “you are going to regret this in the morning.”
Rothman confirmed that the board is looking very seriously into the incident and has convened a meeting for 7 PM Monday night to discuss the unfortunate turn of events. Rothman agreed that while he believes the high priority meeting should have been scheduled sooner, it was impossible to do so given the logistics of the long holiday weekend.
“Regulations dictate that we need a quorom, five out of nine members, to hold a meeting,” explained Rothman. “People had scheduled vacations and this is not something anyone could have foreseen.”
Kirby’s position as counsel for the school district has long been a subject of discussion. Kirby is employed at the Long Island based Minerva & D’Agostino P.C., which according to reports on LoHud.com, bills $250 per hour, double the amount paid to the district’s previous lawyer, and charges $125 an hour for transportation costs.
Rothman said the decision to hire Kirby was made long before he was elected to the school board and that he himself had questioned Kirby’s hiring. According to Rothman, he was told that Kirby was hired for his expertise in dealing with the logistical issues of a school district which has a large percentage of private school parents.
Despite Tuesday night’s ugly confrontation, Rothman expressed optimism that there can be sunnier days ahead for the troubled school district.
“We have to find a way to co-exist,” said Rothman. “I believe there is a middle ground here. We just have to find it.”
I have seen both videos and besides for the reaction of Mr. Rothman the videos are a massive chillul hashem. If you watch the video of the woman speaking she is talking about her son a special needs child failing by one point and then the lawyer smirks at the woman and the camera shows all the frum yidden just watching and doing nothing as this woman is demeaned. And it doesn’t matter if this woman is a famous trouble maker everyone knows that there are cameras everywhere and now the world sees how frum yidden don’t care about women or special needs kids etc. Obviously this lawyer needs to be fired asap and I hope that someone like Rabbi Horowitz will offer a public apology on behalf of the frum leaders of the monsey school district.
We are taught that one’s true character is exposed when in anger. I have no clue about politics, not Ramapo, not school stuff, nor do I understand anything about anyone’s differences here. But an attorney who stoops to this kind of behavior is a disgrace, and should not be representing a public entity. I do not need to know more about him, and have not a care what accolades are listed in his resume. I am convinced he is completely unqualified for this position, and I would recommend that he be replaced immediately.
Mr. Rothman is a true gentleman. It appears the current “soft spoken” Board Chair should be replaced by Mr. Rothman. Had the situation been diffused in the Board Room immediately upon the attorney going AWOL, it would have never escalated to a parking lot fight scene. Mr. Rothman appears to have those skills.
Mr. Rothman was also the only Board member to remain when the former Chair duplicitously ended the meeting before the student podium time.
Mr. Rothman’s comment about the attorney’s unusual demeanor that evening struck a cord. From viewing the videos and even listening to one parent question if he was drunk, the man appeared to be in roid rage and completely lacking in control of his emotions. No seasoned attorney would have instigated Ms. Hatton the way he did during her time at the podium and no seasoned attorney would have lost complete control later on. Something was clearly up whether a chemical issue or a mental health one. The Board must not sweep this under the rug . This situation could have ended worse than it already did.
Again, thank you Mr. Rothman ! To the Board, choose him as your leader, you need a person of compromise, and he is it.
Luke.
Will they fire this law firm? It all depends on the Rabbonim’s orders. This board is beholden to the Rabbonim and have admitted so previously in interviews. They feel the Rabbis know what is best for the entire community.
An apology is too little too late. At least ONE man on the board should have stood up and said, “Enough, already.” Instead, they sat there as mutes, not knowing how to defend a woman’s honor. This shows to the world that Haredim don’t give a damn about women. The very next day after the terrible curse-worded videos appeared, the board needed to step up to the plate and condemn the actions.
Silence says much in this case.
Has the minuval Kirby been fired yet. A lawyer is a mouth piece for his client that means he spoke for all the frimmer yeedin on the board when he called that poor woman the most vile names in a atotally uncalled for tirade in serious need of anger management. I say poor woman knowing full well hatton is a rabble rouser because no woman should be spoken to and bullied by a beheima like kirby. Drugs, roid rage, drunk, the reason makes no difference you can’t unshoot the gun and chris kirby needs to be fired.
“Still no answer! Trivia: There’s a street in Spring Valley that has parts of it in 3 different Election Districts & 2 zip codes. What is it?”
This is from Spring Valley mayoral hopeful Town Councilman Friedman.
Yes, Mr. Friedman. Still no opine on your thoughts on last Tuesday’s events at ERCSD’s meeting. I guess electoral trivia trumps under served school children. Good job! Pander for your votes. Play trivia as children suffer and you are silent !
We know you comment on this blog, so we will await your good word.
Hoping you enjoyed the weekend at the stadium you voted blindly on.
Luke.
Today at 09:20 PM
MonseyLuke Says: Report as Inappropriate
Mr. Friedman : Is one awaiting the decision of the Rebbis before one can opine on the horrific events of last Tuesday’s ERCSD meeting? Do tell. BTW, How is the financial statement for 2012 looking for the ballpark? Can’t wait to share in the success!
Luke.
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