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The Suffern Central School District Shows Up to Show Support for Superintendent Douglas Adams

Posted on 12 March 2019 by Editor

Suffern Central School District stakeholders showed up in force at a special school board meeting at Suffern Middles School Auditorium and unanimously expressed support for Dr. Douglas Adams, who was recently suspended by the board under near-mysterious circumstances.

The special Suffern Central School Board meeting started late Monday, leaving plenty of time for the pro-Dr. Douglas Adams crowd to grow restless. While the Board of Education met in executive session, the Suffern Middle School Auditorium filled up with some 150 to 200 people, many there to support Superintendent Adams.

Chants of “Save Dr. Adams” and “Dr. Adams” bounced around the auditorium before the BOE returned from executive session and began the public meeting. People walked to the mic podium to speak, unanimously expressing support for Dr. Adams and concern over how the board acted in secrecy, sometimes letting the next speaker take up their thread of advocacy. The Board of Education President Amany Messieha Dgheim apparently took umbrage that people would “piggy back” comments, suggesting that people should not engage in that kind of coordinated free speech.

From parents to students, the support for Dr. Adams was voluminous and demonstrated in sudden outbursts of cheering and applause. Board member Donald Cairns (who voted for Dr. Adams’ suspension) read an odd statement referencing scripture while scolding comments some district taxpayers and stakeholders made at the public meeting because they voiced anger at the board’s actions against a popular and battle-tested superintendent.

School Board member Angus MacKenzie spoke from the dais about how the Dr. Adams issue has galvanized the district, bringing people out to school board meetings — an almost Johnny-come-lately attitude given the many parents active year-in and year-out in school district programs, activities and issues.

There was also a question raised about a BOE request for a forensic audit of the SCSD books, rather than the standard NYS Comptroller audit. A forensic audit is associated with fraudulent or criminal activity is suspected. Talk of a forensic audit associated with the SCSD is either part of a possible smear campaign or rooted in a board member misspeaking on the topic. The third reason for referencing a forensic audit could be that there is one underfoot by the BOE.


Adams was suspended by a 4-3 BOE vote on Thursday, March 9, during a different special meeting. The exact charges against Adams are relatively vague but the Suffern Central BOE narrative for board action is becoming clear: insubordination to the board because of information board members feel they did not receive in a timely manner while the board also dangled the idea of possible fiduciary issues related to Adams’ management style.

Richard Gandon at Rockland Star has the most in-depth investigation into this contentious issue to date, but provides many a caveat. At issue appears to be charges of misconduct against a pedagogical employee (either a teacher or administrator). Gandon, based on interviews and other specific information, called the charges “disturbing, disgraceful and parents would be outraged by it.”

Executive Sessions by boards of all stripes is where legal and complex personnel matters are workshopped under cover of shield laws, and rightly so. Presumably whatever the charge or personnel issue is, at least one board member should know of it and reveal the scope of the matter in Executive Session.

Either Dr. Adams’ sufficiently addressed the charges brought to the SCSD, as is his duty by law, or engaged in a protective coverup of an employee, which appears odd on the face of it given his dedication and deeds on behalf of the school district. A third way might be that certain board members believe not enough was done by the superintendent on this particular issue.

As is always the case in matters of this kind, the facts will come out.

The BOE’s game plan might now be to run out the clock via the courts and court of public opinion and hope that Adams takes early retirement. The endgame for the board is curious. If Adams does leave, the board would be responsible for appointing a new superintendent and possibly setting a whole new agenda for the district. The downside — participating board members in the SCSD may face annoyed and angry district voters who ultimately decide to vote them out of office.

But all the facts in this case are not on the public table at this time.

Whatever the disagreement the board might have with Adams, the take away for the public, voters, and school district stakeholders should be: be very careful who you elect to the school board because once there, the board can take all sorts of unforeseen actions.

Meanwhile, Dr. Douglas Adams attended the recent Suffern Mounties boys hockey state final game in Buffalo, NY, over the weekend and took plenty of pictures with Suffern Central School District parents and supporters.

 

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