In a stoney-faced display before a packed meeting room ringing from strains of “We Shall Overcome,” East Ramapo Board of Education President Yehuda Weissmandl announced that the district would “disassociate itself” and “transition” from the controversial law firm Minerva & D’Agostino.

Weissmandl said Minerva & D’Agostino would help with the transition process, and presumably bill the district for its work at the regular reported rate of $250 per hour plus $125 per hour for travel.

Some 200 people attended a Rally for Respect at ER district headquarters, including Rockland Legislator and county executive candidate Ed Day, that protested last weeks actions by district attorney Christopher Kirby. Earlier Monday afternoon, Day sent a letter of complaint to Weissmandl regarding Kirby, with a copy to the State of New York Grievance Committee for the Tenth Judicial District, which could open up Minerva & D’Agostino to further scrutiny.

The now infamous Kirby parking lot tirade led to the East Ramapo special board meeting Monday night — and also generated more unflattering headlines for the school district, which has experienced budget and program cuts, staff layoffs, a student protest walk out at the end of this past school year, as well as community contentiousness over board management of the district.

Kirby, who handles labor and service contract negotiations for the district, was captured on video cursing out a group of parents, challenging one man to a fight and generally acting belligerent and unprofessional as a representative of a law of the district law firm. During the outburst, BOE member Yonah Rothman repeatedly urged Kirby to just leave, telling the attorney he would regret his actions in the morning.

Parent and district activist Peggy Hatton, who Kirby repeatedly goaded during a public comments portion of last Tuesday’s East Ramapo board meeting, said at Monday’s Rally for Respect that the whole experience had been “a whirlwind.” Hatton said the increased scrutiny of district actions and practices, including decisions by the board, should help improve the quality of education for students.

During the recent spring East Ramapo budget process, students repeatedly spoke at board meetings about important programs on the chopping block — to no avail. Finally, students from Spring Valley and Ramapo High Schools staged a walkout at the end of May, making their way through the streets of Spring Valley to Memorial Park, where in a sing-song call and response chant they called out:

“We’re marching to  . . . Memorial Park . . . to save our arts . . . and make our mark.”

The Rally for Respect at times had the same energy, with moments of chanting and singing as parents and school activists experienced a flush of vindication at the actions of Minerva & D’Agostino lawyers —  and for what some at the rally believed was a long-overdue public rebuke of the law firm.

Rally for Respect still images are courtesy of videographer Seth Harrison and LoHud.