Question: Did Dr. Kenneth Eastwood support a convicted drug user?

When Francis Hoefer said that schools Superintendent Kenneth W. Eastwood supported a convicted drug user, Eastwood called him a liar, threatened to sue, and attacked his character. Well, now it appears that Dr. Eastwood is the liar after a letter surfaced in which Dr. Eastwood is clearly recommending that the Oswego School Board re-hire Daniel Harmony, a disgraced educator who in FACT was charged and convicted of possessing 7.8 grams of drugs during a search of his home. Liar, liar, pants on fire, Dr. Eastwood! Read the three page letter for yourself and determine who's the liar.

My View by Michael Sussman

The following is an excerpt of an editorial submitted by civil rights attorney Michael Sussman.

"I am appalled at the editorial which appeared in the Times Herald Record this morning. It minimizes the violation of the First Amendment committed by Superintendent Kenneth Eastwood and the Board President Geiger and focuses on the wrong issue: "the dissidents" as if this were the Soviet Union.

For a full copy of the "My View" please visit the Democratic Alliance website at www.democraticalliance.com

Eastwood's Insensitivity to Local Labor

Historically, Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) maximize the use of local labor, and assist the on time and on budget completion of construction projects. Currently, they are used by Orange County and Middletown for their building projects. Last Year, Mr. Paul and Dr. Mauro introduced and proposed PLAs for the construction of the district's new elementary school, but Dr. Eastwood, the board attorneys, and RSA, the district's Syracuse architects rejected the adoption of PLAs. Given the high rate of local unemployment, and the current economic downturn, it is insensitive to the needs of our local labor for Dr. Eastwood and others to fail to protect our local labor workforce.

Recently, Joseph De Stefano, Middletown Mayor requested that the district reconsider its position on PLAs. Given Dr. Eastwood's previous rejection of PLAs, and his propensity for hiring people from upstate New York and outside our region, it is unlikely that he will reverse his position, nor recommend to the board that they adopt PLAs for the new elementary school. In light of the fact that Dr. Eastwood is asking local taxpayers to pay a large increase in our school taxes, his rejection of PLAs shows a disregard and lack of concern for our local workforce, and the financial needs of the people in the Middletown School District.

Superintendent Ken Eastwood called ‘out of touch’ with local taxpayers

In May, voters within the Enlarged City School District of Middletown will be asked to go to the polls and vote for staggering increases in local school taxes that will undoubtedly be impossible for many residents to pay.

The superintendent, Dr. Kenneth Eastwood, insists that the state is to blame and there is nothing that he can do about it. Many residents, especially local senior citizens, would probably take his concerns to heart if he himself paid taxes in the district. That’s right folks – the superintendent of schools, some times referred to as the “CEO” is responsible for setting your taxes, but doesn’t pay them, despite his over $200,000 a year salary and benefits.

Instead he and his wife, Suzanne, have opted to rent a luxury apartment on the outskirts of Middletown on Schutt Road in the Town of Wallkill.

How is it possible for Dr. Eastwood to sympathize with local taxpayers if he doesn’t contribute to the local tax base? A little birdie told me that as soon as Dr. Eastwood is finished building a resume for himself on the backs of Middletown taxpayers, he’ll just move somewhere else and forget that Middletown even exits.

Middletown Record's Editorials on Dissent

The Times Herald-Record's editorial on March 10th criticized the school board minority for their questioning of Dr Eastwood, and accused them of conducting an ongoing "inquisition" of the superintendent. The board members were performing their state mandated function as "watchdogs" for the school district, but paradoxically, the Record deduced that by questioning the superintendent they are hurting the students. In an earlier editorial, the Record chastised the board minority for their dissent in light of the "significant progress" the district has made. As can be seen in their articles, the newspaper has been consistently one-sided and biased in their reporting. The Record's editors appear to have allowed their paper to be used willingly as a public relations tool by Dr. Eastwood. The Record's view on dissent is not only wrong and harmful, but more typical of news media found in repressive totalitarian regimes. Their view of dissent is inconsistent with our American values. In our country, we support open and free public discourse.

At the March 4th Middletown School Board meeting, Mr. Geiger, board president, disallowed a nonresident from addressing the board, and Dr. Eastwood had him taken away in handcuffs. Rather than focus on these basic violations of constitutional rights in the March 10th editorial, The Record twisted its discussion around to a condemnation of the board minority. The Record's weak support for the freedom of speech is appalling, and its opposition to dissent is echoed by Dr. Eastwood, the current board majority, and some members of the public. These individuals fail to recognize that they are the ones harming the students. They are teaching students that dissent is wrong, and that dissenters can expect public condemnation, derision, and repression for questioning authority or expressing a different point of view. Their lesson turns education into indoctrination. They ignore or are unaware of the "market place of ideas" concept, in which all speech is tolerated with the belief that in an open debate, the better ideas will prevail. Dissent does not harm students, but public repression of dissent does.

Sources say Dr. Kenneth Eastwood supported drug user

As many of you already know, Dr. Kenneth W. Eastwood previously served as superintendent of the Oswego School District before coming to Middletown. But did you know that while as their superintendent, he supported the hiring of a convicted drug user? That's what sources tell "Inside Middletown Schools".

Daniel Harmony, who served as acting superintendent (right after Eastwood's departure) was charged by investigators of possessing roughly 7.8 grams of methamphetamines, which they found during a search of his home. The school board hired Harmony based on a recommendation by Eastwood, according to our sources.

Oswego school board member Francis Hoefer was opposed to the hiring but the school board rubber-stamped Eastwood's appointment. Shortly thereafter, the school board ultimately suspended and fired Daniel Harmony, with one board member reportedly saying, "Fran was right all along".

Tips & Submissions

Shortly after Dr. Kenneth Eastwood left the Oswego City School District, the School Board discovered that the district reserve funds had been almost completely depleted.
Fran Hoefer
(Oswego City School District Board of Education Member)

Media Coverage surrounding Fran Hoefer's illegal ejection from the March 4th School Board Meeting

Oswego school board member removed from Middletown school board meeting after trying to speak

Report: Hoefer escorted from Meeting in Middletown

Oswego Board Member and Superintendent Lock Horns Again, This time in Middletown

Oswego school board member jailed

School trustee backer ejected from Middletown meeting

Expert says Middletown school board was wrong to silence speaker

Please continue to visit this site, as more information will be posted on a regular basis.

Transcript of Mr. Hoefer's Statements He Was Unable to Make at the March 4th Middletown Board of Education Meeting

Here is the statement Fran Hoefer would have read if President Geiger had not violated his free speech:


My name is Fran Hoefer. I'm a member of the Oswego City School District Board of Education. I'm here tonight for a friendly visit and to observe. I'm also here to give your community a bit of a heads up about your superintendent. Dr. Eastwood was the "Golden Boy" of the Oswego City School District when he first ascended to power. His pristine appearance, charismatic personality, and technology mastery made him an object of admiration and respect. I personally thought he was a great guy. So did a great many other people. It wasn't until he packed his bags for Middletown that the Oswego School District discovered that our reserve accounts had been depleted. We discovered that our graduation rates weren't quite as high as we had thought. This was a bit of a bombshell for our community, and it also impelled a substantial tax increase to repair the damage.

I was not a member of the board when these discoveries were unveiled; because, I had preciously been forced off the board by Dr. Eastwood. Ken and his circle of board supporters charged me with misconduct and hired a very expensive law firm to bring charges against me. I was denied legal representation through a technicality, and was told that I had to defend my nonpaying board position with my own resources against a team of high powered lawyers being funded with the unlimited resources of the taxpayers. Does this scenario sound familiar to anyone in this room? There is something inherently unfair and reprehensible about an appointed bureaucrat using taxpayer money to remove an unpaid elected official from elected office. I was reelected in a landslide vote. Coincidentally, all the board members who voted to remove me are no longer board members.

I also would like to point out to this board, that it is against the rules of the Open Meetings Law to hold secret meetings of a select quorum to come to consensus. It is also illegal to come to consensus by telephone. Some of you may want to take a hard look in the a mirror before you choose to charge someone else with misconduct. Speaking of misconduct, anyone who is interested will soon be able to read about the scandals that happened in my district during the reign of Ken and company on a new website called insidemiddletownschools.blogspot.com. That's insidemiddletownschools.blogspot.com. This website is uncensored, and I will be able to speak freely about :

- allegations of Dr.Eastwood's abuse of a young honor student and the subsequent cover up

- Ken's attempt to rehire our district drug enforcement officer after he was convicted for
purchasing methamphetamines through the mail

- the good Dr.'s use of his position to aquire enhanced grades for his daughter.

- about secret emergency board meetings, abuse of power, self interest, and all the sordid aspects of your
superintendent that he is so good at hiding

My name is Fran Hoefer. I'll be on (insidemiddletownschools.blogspot.com). You can access the blog by typing insidemiddeletownschools.blogspot.com into the http//space of your computer. I guarantee you'll be astounded!