Preserve Ramapo

www.preserve-ramapo.com

You are here: Home / Archives for East Ramapo Central School District / East Ramapo School Board

East Ramapo Board of Trustees Voting Results

by

Ward 1 – Ashley Victoria Leveille, 582 votes; term ending June 30, 2024

Ward 2 – Sabrina Charles-Pierre, 744 votes; term ending June 30, 2022

Ward 3 – Sherry McGill, 499 votes; term ending June 30, 2023

Ward 4 – Shimon Z. Rose, 880 votes; term ending June 30, 2024

Ward 5 – Yossi Weiss, 1,233 votes; term ending June 30, 2023

Ward 6 – Yehuda Weissmandl, 1,382 votes; term ending June 30, 2022

Ward 7 – Harry Grossman, 1,078; term ending June 30, 2024

Ward 8 – Mark W. Berkowitz, 1,832; term ending June 30, 2023

Ward 9 – Ephraim Weissmandl, 1,581 votes; term ending June 30, 2022

Newly elected board members must take the oath of office no later than March 2, 2021 and shall commence their terms once that is done. It is anticipated that board members will take the oath of office and hold the first meeting of the newly elected board on March 2, 2021.

CLICK HERE TO SEE RESULTS

Please visit www.ercsd.org/TrusteeVote for more information.

 

Appeals court backs NAACP in East Ramapo voting rights challenge

by

“A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision declaring East Ramapo’s method for electing its school board violated the Voting Rights Act.

The lower court decision handed a victory to the NAACP in its decade-long battle to wrest board control away from a white, Orthodox Jewish voting bloc.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the East Ramapo school district’s claim that policy preferences like lower taxes – not race – had led to school boards dominated by Orthodox Jewish candidates.

They noted the nine-member board has pursued policies contrary to the interests of the the district’s 11,000 public-school students, nearly all of whom are Black or Latino. [Read more…]

East Ramapo School Board Elections–June 9 Mail-in

by

Candidates for ERCSD Board

Sherry McGill, Ana Maeda-Gonzalez, Kerry Victor, Carole Anderson

Election Update from Power of 10
1. Mail-in Ballots Only!
2. Meet Our Candidates
3. Library Vote

1) Mail-in Ballots Only!

The Governor has cancelled all in-person voting for school board elections. School districts have been ordered to conduct the election by mail-in ballot only. There will be a very short window of time from when you receive your ballot until you must mail it to be received on time. The ballots must be received by June 9, but there is a potential for slow mail delivery due to the pandemic.

For this reason, PLEASE WATCH YOUR MAIL, PLEASE FILL OUT AND RETURN THE BALLOT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! [Read more…]

East Ramapo trial: Judge wants Rabbi Oshry arrested if he doesn’t show up to testify

by

East Ramapo School District in Federal Court UPDATE. The Journal News February 24

“The federal judge presiding over a voting rights case involving the East Ramapo school board on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi who has so far resisted efforts to get him to testify.

U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel gave Rabbi Yehuda Oshry until Thursday morning to appear in White Plains or face arrest.

“I don’t think he can hide in his house forever,” Seibel said Tuesday. “He’s just inviting incarceration if he doesn’t come today or tomorrow.” [Read more…]

“Orthodox community could have just voted you out”: East Ramapo school board president

by

East Ramapo School District in Federal Court UPDATE  The Journal News February 21

Photo of Harry Grossman

Harry Grossman School Board President Photo: Yated.com

“East Ramapo school board president Harry Grossman faced mounting questions on Friday about his behind-the-scenes communications with Orthodox Jewish religious leaders and other members of the board.

In 2016, Grossman told fellow board member Sabrina Charles-Pierre, a black public school parent, to remember that she could be voted out at any time.

He repeated the message at least six times between April and August of that year, according to Facebook messages entered into evidence by lawyers for the NAACP.

“If there really was any desire by anybody to remove you from the board, all that would need to be done was to run a candidate against you,” said Grossman in message from July of 2016. “Orthodox community could have just voted you out in May.” [Read more…]

East Ramapo trial: Judge attacks testimony of school board president Harry Grossman

by

East Ramapo School District in Federal Court UPDATE  The Journal News Feb. 20

Photo of Harry Grossman

Harry Grossman School Board President Photo: Yated.com

“The federal judge deciding a voting rights challenge by the NAACP attacked the testimony of the president of the East Ramapo school board Thursday, suggesting he crafted his testimony to avoid telling all he knew about the role Orthodox Jewish leaders play in board elections.

U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel, responding to an objection by a lawyer for the East Ramapo Central School District, offered her take on the testimony of board president Harry Grossman.

“I’m offended by what I’ve seen here today,” Seibel said. “And I think anybody who reads plain English would feel the same way.

“I cannot tell a lie,” Seibel added. “I do think this witness is not credible.” [Read more…]

What’sApp Chat reveals behind the scenes effort by Orthodox Jewish religious leaders NYCLU says

by

East Ramapo School District Board in Federal Court UPDATE

“Lawyers for the NAACP on Tuesday used private conversations from the WhatsApp messaging platform to bolster their claims that Orthodox Jewish leaders led a behind-the-scenes effort to dominate seats on the East Ramapo Central School District board.

Excerpts of conversations between Harry Grossman, the district’s school board president, and others were introduced as evidence in a federal voting rights trial that will decide whether the district’s system for electing its school board members limits the participation of blacks and Latinos.

Among the conversations was a 2017 exchange between Grossman and Rabbi Hersh Horowitz, the executive director of the Monsey-based Community Outreach Center. [Read more…]

Candidate’s ‘master plan’ comment exposes tensions in East Ramapo voting rights trial

by

Eric Goodman Photo: Eric Goodman

East Ramapo School District Board in Federal Court: UPDATE

“Eric Goodwin was on his way home in May 2017, as voters headed to the polls to pick the winning candidates for seats on the East Ramapo Central School District board.

Goodwin, a candidate for the board that year, noticed buses streaming into voting sites in predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods near his Nanuet home.

When he got home, Goodwin tapped out a post on his Facebook page:

“The night before the election an(d) those who want to keep the balance of power in their favor. Spending the night at your religious establishments will not mask your master plan. East Ramapo is watching your every move.”

Goodwin lost the election that year. [Read more…]

Millions still flowing to St. Lawrence’s RLDC

by

Money vacuumYou would think that as fast as St. Lawrence and his attorney were pedaling in the courtroom in White Plains, trying to outrun the 22 felony charges from the Dept of Justice, that he wouldn’t have time to continue to siphon public money to his bankrupt RLDC. So much for common sense. While St. Lawrence and his attorney, Michael Burke, were looking over perspective jurors, his corrupt machine was still still cranking up the giant sucking sound at Town Hall on Route 59, vacuuming millions in public assets. At the other end of the pipe, almost six million was blowing in at the RLDC office over at the ballpark.  [Read more…]

Joe Chajmovicz resigns from East Ramapo school board

by

“For the second time in 10 months, the East Ramapo school board has a seat to fill — and it’s the same seat.

Joe Chajmovicz, who was picked in July 2016 to fill the remainder of Yakov Engel’s term, submitted his resignation in a letter, dated Jan. 31, to the district clerk, stating he was no longer able to serve.

His resignation is effective Feb. 1, according to the letter. [Read more…]