Legal Update

After the arrest of Mr. Fran Hoefer approximately two years ago, a Federal lawsuit was filed against Dr. Eastwood, Mr Geiger, and the Middletown board of Education for not allowing Mr. Hoefer to speak at a public board meeting, and for his later arrest by Middletown Police. The discovery phase for this case has been completed, and the school district has or will soon file for a summary judgement in this case. The district claims that they were not responsible for the arrest of Mr. Hoefer. However, according to Officer Marcado's police narrative, Mr. Haverlan of school security informed the Middletown police that Dr. Eastwood wanted Mr. Hoefer arrested. In addition, since Dr. Eastwood was the highest ranking administrator in the building at the time, it is difficult to see how and why school security would have contacted the police without his authorization.

Following this incident, a blog was was posted on "inside middletown schools" offering the comments that Mr. Hoefer had planned to give at the board meeting. Subsequently, Dr. Eastwood filed a libel suit against Mr. Hoefer and Dr. Mauro in State Court. In response to this lawsuit, Mr. Hoefer and Dr. Mauro filed a counter suit claiming Dr, Eastwood's lawsuit was without merit and a S.L.A.P.P. lawsuit. As defined by Wikapedia : "A strategic lawsuit against public participation (S.L.A.P.P.) is a lawsuit intended to censor or intimadate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition. The typical SLAPP plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. The plaintiff's goals are accomplished if the defendant succumbs to fear, intimidation, mounting legal cost...". Currently, discovery has been completed for these cases. Unless a summary judgement is granted, these cases will go to trial by the end of the year, or the beginning of next year.

To refresh your memory, here's the video clip of Fran Hoefer being removed from the high school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzjpk1naemI

Middletown High School Administration Shake Up

Buried within the Middletown School District's 20012-2013 budget is a restructuring of the Middletown High School administration. Mr. Gonzalez, executive principal, and all house principal positions have been eliminated. It is common knowledge that the high school has been plagued by student discipline and behavior problems. Televised student award ceremonies, athletic events, student recognition ceremonies, and student performances have helped hide these student behavior and control problems from the public. Student behavior problems at the high school are not new, and have been exacerbated by the elimination of the SRO positions and the down sizing of our security personnel. Last year, some board of education members warned that the loss of SROs and reduced security would have an adverse effect on the ability of personnel to control the behavior of students within the building. These concerns were ignored.

At the same time, the personnel morale at the high school is low, and employee dissatisfaction with the central administration growing. Many of the high school administrators have responded to these problems by looking for new positions outside the district. As reported in the Record, Dr. Eastwood was aware that some school administrators were looking for new positions. One question comes up: Was Dr. Eastwood's new administration reorganization plan for the high school coincidental with its administrators looking for new positions, or a preemptive action to rid the school of administrators who were attempting to leave the problem ridden school ? A administration reorganization would be the only way to get rid of these tenured employees.

We do know that Dr Eastwood's new plan for the high school administration came as surprise, and the board had not been consulted during its development. We also know that the administration's portion of next years budget increased. Therefore, where are the net cost savings, and what was Dr. Eastwood's true motivation for making these changes?

Last year, Inside Middletown Schools reported that a maintenance worker was dismissed from at Chorley after he complained about a mold problem in the building. His dismissal was despite the fact the several teachers in the building wrote letters testifying to the quality of his work ( please read earlier blog). Recently, a substitute teacher was fired personally by Dr. Eastwood after he used a district computer during school time to make an on line correction of a misstatement in the Record concerning the district. Did these people deserve to lose their positions ? Neither the dismissal of these employees, nor the loss of these high school administrators by a new administrative reorganization plan appears to us to be warranted or justified.

The 20012-2013 Middletown School District Budget

If the Middletown School District budget is approved by the voters this May, some district taxpayers will be saddled with a total school taxes increase of approximately 30% for a three year period. In the past, Dr. Eastwood appears to have promoted large school tax increases. Reported in a March, 2005 newspaper article in Oswego's "Palladian Times", Mr. Fisher, Dr. Eastwood's replacement as superintendent stated, "... taxes were increased by 60% in the previous four years..." In Middletown. for the past three years, Dr. Eastwood and his supporters on the board of education have refused to make the necessary cuts in staff and program to avoid raising our taxes. Rather, they complain about the Governor's cuts in state aid, the legislature's refusal to get rid of mandates, and how unfair is the need to have a 60% plus 1 vote on the budget to override the tax cap.

Neither Dr. Eastwood nor his board have given little more than lip service to the financial problems of district taxpayers. Even the fact that approximately 450 house in Middletown are in danger of foreclosure for non payment of taxes has had any effect on them from increasing your taxes again this year. After playing the blame game, Dr. Eastwood and his supporters refuse to accept the fact that our local tax payers can no longer afford to make up for cuts in state aid. They appear to be out of touch with tax payers, and to be living in an ivory tower or dream world. For example, they appear to believe that paying over a half a million dollars more for "better bricks" or more expensive granite rather than concrete curbing constitute a prudent use of limited public funds. The fact that we are even building a new school in these hard times brings into question Dr. Eastwood's and the board's ability to understand the needs and problems of local taxpayers.

Given the fact that Dr. Eastwood has a salary with benefits between $250,000-$300,000, might make his lack of understanding of the financial problems of district tax payers more understandable. The board's attitude and support for higher taxes is more difficult to explain. As the elect representatives of the public, they should be aware of the financial problems of tax payers as well as the financial needs of the school district. While cutting teaching positions, they even saw fit this year to set aside $13,000 for Dr. Eastwood's raise. Where are their priorities ?

The public needs to come out to vote and oppose increased taxes. Unlike previous years, if this budget is turned down twice by the voters, the contingency budget forced upon the district will have a 0% tax increase. The decision to raise your taxes is in your hands. VOTE NO TO INCREASED SCHOOL TAXES !!!