If you are a student or a minor, please leave this blog NOW!
In March ’12, A Gang of Coeymanazis Ganged Up on A Sitting Board of Education Member and Demanded His Resignation Because He Was Contesting His Tax Assessments and Because of His Political Leanings. He Was Libeled in the Times Useless, Too!
But nearer and dearer to all hearts, closer to home, we have Mr James Latter and citizen’s demand for his resignation and investigations into his involvement with the shadowy RCS Athletic Association.
Why haven’t they started the investigation?
Why hasn’t Latter resigned?!?!
Why’s Latter still on the RCS Board of Education?!?!
Residents Speak Out!
Citizens Demanded An Investigation.
Where is it?
How Quickly We Forget…Yet in November 2011, a Parent Stood Before the Board and Recited How James Latter, a Sitting RCS CSD Boardmember Had Flagrantly Violated Confidentiality by Distributing a Confidential Communication, Endangering the Parent’s Children. She also reported how James Latter verbally abused a special ed student in front of other students. Her Outrage Was Shared By Several Other Residents who Also Addressed the Board and the Superintendant, Elizabeth “Betsy” Smith, Demanding an Investigation and Latter’s Resignation. No Investigation. Latter’s Still There!
That’s not all! In that same November 1, 2012 RCS CSD Board of Education meeting, other residents took the podium to ask why the RCS Athletic Association could not substantiate its status as a non-profit organization, why the RCS Athletic Association has not filed the required IRS 990 Form disclosures, why the RCS Athletic Association has been the subject of allegations of misuse of Association funds by Latter to support partisan political activities! Latter is the RCS Athletic Association treasurer and stepson of RCS Sportsman’s Association president, Jeff Stambaugh! Oh those connections! His wife is a teacher and so he’s also part of the notorious teacher’s clique on th RCS board of education!
It’s On the Public Record!
At the November 1, RCS CSD Board of Education meeting, Pam Powell (an RCS parent) states, while qualifying herself as not being related to any board member or any individuals associated with any organization involved here:
“I am here to make the public aware of some recent activity regarding board member, Mr James Latter…I drafted an e-mail to the board members and to Ms Smith ONLY, and Within 29 minutes of sending the e-mail, I received an e-mail from Bob Doren, subsequently followed by an e-mail from Ron Reese, then from coach Ron Vanderzee…Mr Latter took it upon himself to forward my personal confidential e-mail to all coaches JV and Varsity football as well as to Mr Reese and Mr Bailey. Mr Latter added a title of “FYI.” Mr Latter broke the very same protocol he has consistently preached that others need to follow, and has quickly called for investigations of others he has accused of doing the same. Protocoll and Board of Education rules need to be followed. Mr Later, maybe you should start to practice what you preach!“
The speaker continues:
“Because of your breach of protocol last Friday I received a text message from my son at 11:26 a.m. asking me, “What did you do now!” This was exactly 2 hours and 11 miniutes after I sent my first e-mail. How my child…became aware of that situation lies directly in your hands…Mr Latter, FYI is not a “concerned title” My conclusion: Hidden agenda? I asked Mr Latter to resign. He refused…Mr Latter said he had asked others about my children…My husband and I would like to know, Mr Latter, what gives you the right to ask questions about our children? You’re not their teacher, principal, coach or any other person in their school who would have anything to do with their education or sports.”
At a the last board of education meeting,
“It was stated that a certain board member told a special ed child to stop acting like a f—ing retard. I am here to state that that member is Mr Latter! My child is a witness to this event. I wonder if you’re going to deny it now. Will you, call my well-rounded and very respectful child a liar? As I should have asked last year, when it happened, I will not ask now but demand that you resign! As a board member you are to act as a whole and have no inherent powers this doesn’t change when certain organizations are involved [Editor’s Note: Latter is an officer, whether secretary or treasurer, it’s unclear, of the RCS Athletics Association, which should also be investigated! See below.] Again: Practice what you preach!
“In closing, I believe that an investigation should be in order here. The fact is Mr Latter forwarded a confidential e-mail which placed myself and my children at risk of being harassed and treated differently, not to mention speaking to a child on school property in such a manner and in front of other children, one of them being my own child. For the sake of the children and the parents, Mr Latter, one way or the other, you need not to be a board member any longer. I now implore the board to demand he resign.”
James Latter’s Policy
James Latter is still on the RCS CSD board of education. No investigation was done despite these serious concerns. Why is that? Another instance of the teachers’ special interests (latter’s wife is an RCS teacher!) being cultivated on the board. Demand an investigation and boot Latter off the Board; He’s corrupt!
Another speaker, Mr John Allen, took to the podium like a fish to water, very eloquently and very articulately:
“What disturbs me as a citizen and I’d like to know is when an individual contacts the board or the school…, that information should be held in confidence and investigated through appropriate channels; not communicated with the various people that are involved in the sporting events or the other activities until the board itself or the school administration has had an opportunity to investigate and to appropriately respond. I’m more concerned after learning that Mr Latter is associated with members of the auxiliary that supports the various sporting events when that auxiliary has used its not-for-profit funding to actually fund “public education campaigns” and I’m being generous here, during times of election which, as I understand is, under IRS not-for-profit law, is expressly prohibited for a not-for-profit charitable organization to actually use its not-for-profit funding to fund such activities in an election campaign. And to take out a full-page add and other things against certain board members or even supporting other members is contrary to public policy in terms of not-for-profit status. The fact that you’re directly associated, I undertand, relatives are involved in that [Editor’s Note: Latter’s stepfather, Mr Jeff Stambaugh is president of the RCS Sportsman Association.]
Mr Allen continues,
“As I’ve looked at the not-for-profit status I can’t find any registration with the Attorney General’s office, which is required for not-for-profit status for that organization, I can also find no 990s, the tax filings for the last couple of years for that organization which are also required by not-for-profit charter. So I would ask that the board investigate this sports organization. Let’s look and ensure that it’s operating legally, that it’s filled its appropriate 990 returns; those are publicly available online and if they’re not it means that they haven’t been recently filed, and that we look at information specifically about the use of those funds as related to school operations and particularly on board election election returns. I think that’s very disturbing. And so, in light of this new revelation where you’re sharing confidential emails, I think that members of the public have a right to expect that communications to the board are held in confidence until the board as a whole decides to act on them or until the administration takes appropriate action…but certainly children should not be put in jeopardy because of personal or other agendas. And so, like others here, Mr Latter, I would call for your resignation. I find this totally inappropriate and highly questionable, given the other activities that I’ve outlined.”
It seeems the only confidentiality James Latter respects is the secrecy of the RCS Athletic Association’s finances!
Still no investigation of Latter or of the RCS Athletics Association and its secret operations and finances. When can we expect this investigation, Ms Superintendent Elizabeth Smith, RCS CSD Board of Education. James Latter & Co., so quick to demand resignations of others but when it comes to a teacher-connection, sweep it under the carpet, right? NO! We demand an investigation. NOW!
Ms Donna Pasquini, who we all know shoots straight from the hip with deadly accuracy:
“I have nothing against the Sports Association..both of my children played sports and I enjoyed it. Honesty, integrity…whatever you want to put forward as standards for the board also includes all these clubs and all the extra activity that goes on in school, and honesty goes a long way. Let’s be honest, let’t tell the whole truth. that if there’s something wrong within, there’s something wrong within. Let’s fix it! And I’m hoping that this board will understand that any protocol that stands for you as board members stands for every one of you…for every organization in the school, every teacher, every principal in the school. Nobody is above the law!“
We Agree, Mr Latter, Come Clean; What’s with the Finances and Your Involvement?
At that same meeting, Mary Partidge-Brown says: “This meeting has been kind of a rollercoaster…like so many of these meetings…rehashing the old business and the old frustrations coming up…and trying to get back to the business of education.”
Well, RCS CSD Board of Education, Ms Superintendent Elizabeth Smith: It’s now May 2012, a new school budget has been passed, but old business is still plaguing the RCS community. Where’s the investigation!!!!
Mr George Babcock, another voice of the community:
“…Mr Latter, maybe now you won’t be so quick to ask for someone’s resignation without a full communication with all your boardmembers, as you ask for of fellow boardmembers. The Sports Association has no reason not to come forward and reveal their finances, if they are aboveboard…And Mr Vanderzee*, Shame on you! If something is unsafe, I shouldn’t be turned on because kids won’t have french fries, YOU! as a coach should know What if? [Editor’s Note: Mr Babcock is referring to the unsafe electrical conditions and fryolator operated in the (see article: Fryer-gate heats up: Latter, Traver call for investigation (Daily Mail, October 13, 2011) , and
Sports concession stand closed, igniting controversy (News Herald, September 29,2011) )“
*Ed. Note: DumbAss Vanderzee previously took to podium to state that he saw nothing “Political” in the RCS Athletic Association’s flyers and ads reading “Support Your School Budget.” Get these illiterate senile DumbAsses out of the schools! Pleeeeeezzzzz!!!!
DYes, Mr Babcock, you’re right. If the RCS Sports Association and with James Latter as their treasurer, can produce the defense that at least three residents demanded back in November, they’ll be “aboveboard.” But that’s unlikely.
AND THE TAKEAWAY MESSAGE IS…
But guess what? They can’t play fair because they’re just as corrupt as just about every other organization in Coeymans from the Coeymans Police Department right down to the RCS Athletics Association.
To answer Ms Partridge Brown’s question: the old business and frustrations keep appearing because they are never resolved!
And guess what, the word is: O’Connor (outgoing member), Traver (outgoing member), and others in the teachers association clique are now secretly trying to oust a sitting BoE member…the teachers on the board lost their majority in the last election and the only way they can keep their majority is to try to get another member removed. Those rats never give it a rest!
Demand this investigation but first get Latter off the Board of Education! He’s a hypocrite and it looks like he’s involved in illegal operations in the RCS Athletic Association!
The next RCS CSD Board of Education Meeting is on May 22nd; Go there, demand James Latter’s resignation! Demand an investigation into the finances and operation of the RCS Athletic Association! Get corruption out of the schools!
The entire November 1, 2011 Board of Education meeting can be viewed at Nov 1/11 BoE. The Latter accusations were also covered in the local press. In the News Herald article (see After accusing BOE president of protocol breach, Latter accused of the same (News Herald, November 10, 2011)) it seems many Board of Education members called for fact-finding, an investigation, but it seems the ball was dropped again! Of course those close to Latter were of the opinion that the board should get on with business as usual. That’s the problem, isn’t it? Business as usual! That’s been the problem for decades in the RCS community!
At the next RCS Board of Education Meeting on May 22nd STAND UP and:
- DEMAND! answers about James Latter and the RCS Athletic Association!
- DEMAND! Answers about the recent Gun on School Grounds incident (see our article at Gun at School & Budget Vote Irregularities) Read Brian Baley’s wishy-washy (did you expect anything else) letter to parents regarding the gun on school grounds incident at 5912LetterConcerningGunonCampus.
- DEMAND! answers about the many voting irregulatities reported during the May 15th School Budget Vote! (see our article at Gun at School & Budget Vote Irregularities)
CONTACT! RCS CSD Superintendant Elizabeth Smith at:
RCS CSD District Office
15 Mountain Rd.
Ravena, NY 12143
Phone: 518.756.5200
e-mail: ersmith@rcscsd.org
And the entire RCS CSD Board of Education at
e-mail: BoardMembers@rcscsd.org
and demand an investigation and a public report by the Board of Education and the Superintendant.
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Albany NY a.k.a. Smalbany 
American Airways Mail
May 31, 2012 at 6:36 pm
You made some nice points there. I did a search on the issue and found most guys will agree with your blog.
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Torrie Klunk
May 31, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Hello.This article was really interesting, especially because I was looking for thoughts on this issue last week.
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Simon
May 22, 2012 at 11:48 am
Comments regarding the edited version of this story.
People should always go to board meetings or watch online, even if after the fact.
So go and comment/complain/praise. Everyone should. As long as the meeting doesn’t go until 1am. I won’t be awake that long.
At some point, however, we need to get past some of this crap. I could go down a list and point to at least 1 reason why each and every board member should be removed (some I could do a good half dozen!). But you know what? They were elected. They should serve. Dragging everything thru the mud may give you an adrenaline rush (and be highly entertaining), but it really doesn’t do us as a community any good. I’ll get back to you when one of them does something felonious.
Want to change the direction of the school district? Run some viable candidates. I have no IDEA why, with this massive “NO” voter base in the area, ONLY ONE CANDIDATE for the seats held that same viewpoint! Why didn’t the “NO” base run 4 candidates in order to try to garnish more of a majority? I believe the only reason Judy got her seat was that the last candidate was a virtual unknown.
S
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Fides qua Creditur
May 22, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Simon, thank you. Again very valid and valuable observations. I have sent Superintendent Smith some questions on the vote and will shortly publish some figures that are remarkably remarkable.
Thanks again!
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Simon
May 21, 2012 at 2:23 pm
No comment about the Sports Association, as I mentioned I was looking forward to the full story you were going to write.
But as far as the confidentiality issue with Mr. Latter…
There’s plenty of blame here to go around.
#1 rule of email – – don’t put it in an email unless you want it to be forwarded, as it always happens! It;s just too easy. This is a situation where (a) the parent shouldn’t have emailed SO MANY people, and (b) the parent should have had a face-to-face meeting with the superintendent so that these emails simply don’t exist.
Mr. Latter should not have forwarded anything to anyone, as it simply wasn’t his job to. Regardless of the issue. The BoE has like 3 employees. They have no supervisory role over the employees, and he should not have been in a position to take any role here whatsoever.
I place the most (and vast majority) of the blame on the athletic staff at the high school. As I recall this original story (and will stand corrected if my memory doesn’t serve), the athletic folks brought up this issue in front of students (which is what embarrassed the kid so greatly). If I as a parent bring up an issue with one of my kid’s teachers (gym or academic), I EXPECT IT TO BE CONFIDENTIAL. The fact these emails got to the teachers doesn’t bother me much, but their necessary professional conduct dictates that you do not make the situation WORSE. I feel this is the true crime in this entire situation. I hope there was some kind of disciplinary action taken here.
I’m sure this is the kind of case that the parent regretted sending the email about 5 minutes after it was sent.
S
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Fides qua Creditur
May 21, 2012 at 2:42 pm
You’re so right about e-mails. I, too, have learned the hard way. First of all, something I think is confidential is not necessarily confidential to the recipient, despite my disclaimers and warnings on the email itself! In many cases, people breach confidentiality with a definite agenda in mind and then offer an OOPS! I made a mistake. Sorry! While gloating over the damage done. At other times, the email itself can mean trouble…email, like instant messaging, was supposed to be a quick communication not a substitute for good communication. How many times have I fired off an email (or written an article) only to have someone come back irat eand offended because of the “tone” of the email? I’ve lost count.
But my rule of thumb is this: If you don’t want it discussed outside of our circle, just say it’s confidential. Period. In fact, unless it’s obvious you are asking me to disseminate the content, I just figure that if you wanted it spread around you would have to me to do so. You’re silence is nothing more to me than an acknowledgement of what is called “implicit confidentiality,” your communication is addressed to me and only me.
Someone in Latter’s position is held to a higher standard overall, and such an ethical lapse cannot simply be dismissed with some infantile “I made a mistake, and I’ll learn from it.” You sure will, Dorkorama! But not on my BoE…school and home’s the place where you’re supposed to have learned morals and ethics, not with the authority and discretions of a member of the board of education!
Some people just don’t have the good sense or the balls to just GO! But we all know that there are agendas, and one of them is that if Latter goes, the teachers and the teachers association will be significantly weakened and will have to accept democracy versus hegemony. Even now, they’re plotting to remove a member to ensure the majority but if the public acts responsibly, that won’t happen and Latter will have to go!
Peace!
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Simon
May 21, 2012 at 6:52 pm
This BoE in general (all members, not just the ones we’re speaking about) has an overinflated idea of what their role is in the school. It’s not to be boss; it’s not to “take care of things”. It’s oversight. Their sole ability is to “instruct the superintendent to…”, create a budget, and pass policy (NOT procedure). And not to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty themselves.
The main issue in New York (and in general around the country I’m sure) is the fact that absolutely anyone can get on a school board. Candidates run and get seated without understanding what their role is, and then go nuts. It doesn’t have anything to do with agenda; I believe everyone deserves a shot at the table. But, if you want to “fix the bussing”, you shouldn’t be running for school board — you should be applying for the transportation director job. If you want to “fix special education”, you shouldn’t be running for the school board — you should get a job as a special ed aide.
For years we’ve had photos of smiling board members standing in work clothes planting shrubs when the maintenance and grounds staff should have been doing it (after all, we PAY them to). They’ve fuzzed the line of how they’re supposed to be dealt with, and the public doesn’t know that they’re supposed to be “outside” that confidential circle (until their involvement is warranted, of course). In these days of technology, it’s all too easy to “fire off an email” and CC everyone you can think of without realizing that you’ve made a bad situation worse.
S
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Fides qua Creditur
May 21, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Simon, thank you for your comment. You hit one of the nails, at least, on the head. Training, orientation, is not one of the strong points of American business, much less a column of RCS practices. The evidence for and the damage done by poor training and orientation, poor education and formation, is pandemic; things get done by applying on-the-fly rules; no one has the guts to admit not knowing or asking a “dumb” question to avoid general embarassment. This is true even when you have “required reading”…no one bothers. Why? Because they are all entitled. Reality or stupidity is not a hazard, because they can claim victim at any time (cf. Josephine O’Connor’s confabulations). They can invoke puerile excuses like “I made a mistake,” like Jim Latter, and hope it blows over. Or they can command a majority and squash any attempt at improvement or, being adherents to ulterior agendas like the teachers’ clique on the BoE is, they can simply out vote any measure that might represent a deviation from the powers or status quo.
You are absolutely right, anyone can run to get on the school board; this is good and it is bad. There are some very worthy people on the board and some not so worthy as we well know. Anyone with a good faith reason to work for the community should be on the board but everyone in public office should and must be held to a higher standard and disciplinary procedures must be in place. Not just arbitrary accusations and slandering, but a real procedure. If there is a high degree of suspicion with a low threshold of tolerance, s/he’s out! Zero tolerance! You’re suspect of illegal or immoral activity, you’re out! But illegal and immoral activity have to be distinguished from permissible political and confessional leanings. Also, one’s assertion of a legal right cannot and should not be held up as if it were the commission of a crime as has been done in very recent history on the RCS BoE. That’s simply not right. Hypocrisy is never right but that’s exactly what we’re describing as rampant and wanton in the RCS district, but very emphatically in the schools and public offices.
I don’t buy it for a minute when someone starts pointing to other districts saying, “But look at them! It’s all over!” Just because my neighbor has the plague doesn’t make me any more inclined to welcome it into my house! No! As Donna Pasquini put it: “If it’s wrong let’s fix it!”
I liked your expression, “They’ve fuzzied the line…” Yes! When boundaries get fuzzied, all hell breaks loose. We can see that clearly.
Peace1
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