Tone in Hale e-mails more lockroom than boardroom

Richard Tedesco

 

Mineola Board of Education Vice President Terence Hale sent a series of e-mails to fellow board members in April characterized by sarcasm, locker room humor and off-color comments aimed towards board Trustee Irene Parrino, Mineola Teachers Association President Teresa Hefner, and the Williston Times, among others.

In an April 20 e-mail to board members and Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler apparently referring to a profile of Parrino in The Williston Times preceding the May 21 school district election, Hale wrote, “I’d rather use poison ivy to wipe myself than the New York Post or The Williston Times…Whatta think about that Irene?…I just read the Friday 4/19 edition. R U kidding me? Were you even at those meetings that you claim to have supported initiatives?”

Parrino initially filed a complaint against Hale with the school board in early May. When the board chose to not take action against Hale, she said she felt she had no other choice but to file a request for Hale’s removal from the board with the state commissioner of education.

Hale resigned from the school board at last Thursday night’s board workshop to spare, he said, the school district from legal costs, and also publicly apologized for sending the e-mails to district residents present at the meeting. 

Blank Slate Media obtained copies of the e-mails Hale sent to board members from Parrino that were exhibits in support of her application last month to the state commissioner of education seeking Hale’s removal from the school board. 

The tone and content of those e-mails would have been unlikely to have earned Hale any gold stars from district teachers or parents.

• On April 22, Hale sent an e-mail to board members and Nagler reacting to concerns expressed by parents whose sons were involved in an incident in the Jackson Avenue School cafeteria in which one boy came to the aid of another boy who was shocking on a carrot. 

“Mike…this ranting…says no one is first-aid qualified. Is this true? What about the hiney lick maneuver? Everyone should know that.”  

In the same e-mail he also wrote, “It seems a fruit basket is not a thoughtful condolence gift…Perhaps a vegetable tray…Everything diced or julienned…okay no carrots…turnips o.k.?” 

Those comments were an apparent reference to the two boys being honored by the Mineola Village Board, as he also wrote, “however plenty of recognition was given to the boys…Perhaps a Key to the Village.”

• In an April 30 e-mail, Hale responded to e-mails from Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler and board Trustee Artie Barnett about Mineola Teachers Association President Teresa Hefner encouraging teachers to wear red T-shirts in a solidarity action. 

“This woman (the spineless yellow-bellied leader) is a disgrace to Mineola,” Hale wrote. In the same e-mail he refers to district teachers as “her clueless minions” and goes on to say of Hefner “really shouldn’t be in any leadership role.”  He also wrote, “She is nothing more than a hypocrite and a liar.”

Hale later wrote an apology to Parrino.

In an April 30 e-mail, he said, “I hope you accept my sincere apology for my discouraging remarks and comments. I’ve been out of line. There is no excuse for my unprofessionalism. From this moment on I will cease and detest any more derogative comments.” 

Parrino said board Trustee Christine Napolitano asked Hale to “cease and desist” from sending additional e-mails. Parrino said Napolitano told her she had a “heavy heart” about Hale’s e-mails in a May 3 phone conversation.  

Napolitano declined to comment on that conversation. 

But she criticized Parrino for releasing the documents about her complaint.

“I’m very disturbed that a member of the board would choose to embarrass kids and families by releasing this information. There was no need on her part to do that so it makes me wonder what her true motivations really are. She could have easily filed her complaint with the state education department without releasing private information to the press,” said Mineola school board Trustee Christine Napolitano.

In her request for Hale’s removal from the school board, Parrino wrote that Hale made “inappropriate references to me and my daughter” in the e-mail he sent about the Jackson Avenue School incident. In that e-mail he wrote, “I would love to hear what you think Parrino…Isn’t your daughter @ Jackson? What does she say about the lunchroom situation?”

Parrino also cites Hale’s scatalogical reference to two local newspapers

In her filing with the state education commissioner, Parrino refers to a May 8 “letter of charges” against Hale that she submitted to Mineola school board President Will Hornberger. She also states the board opted to take no action on the charges in a May 16 meeting. She concludes by writing the board “failed in its duty” and called Hale “unfit” to serve as a board member.

In the May 8 letter to Hornberger seeking Hale’s removal from the board, Parrino used Hale’s e-mails about the Williston Times, the Jackson Avenue School incident and the MTA president to support her charges against Hale for conduct unbecoming a vice president of the Mineola Board of Education; conduct unbecoming a member of the board of education; insubordination for not stopping to send his e-mails to board members after being asked to do so. She also contends Hale violated the school district code of conduct which includes “principles of civility, mutual respect, citizenship, character, tolerance, honesty and integrity.

Parrino also accused Hale of violating confidential student and employee matters by making an “inappropriate” public statement about his wife’s class.

She also refers to what she described as Hale’s “infamous ‘s–t in the hat’ statement” at a board meeting before a group of seventh grade students and parents attending an awards ceremony. The incident reportedly occurred several years ago, predating Parrino’s tenure on the board.

A source close to the board said the school board’s counsel recommended against the board taking any action to remove Hale at the May 16 meeting.

Parrino had been an ally of longtime board Trustee John McGrath, who lost a re-election bid for his seat on the board last year. 

McGrath said Parrino had spoken with him about the e-mails during the campaign and said he may have discussed the complaint she lodged against Hale with the state department of education. But he said he did not advise her on the actions she took.

“I didn’t have any substantial involvement,” McGrath said.

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