091506 Emotions high at Bedford Hills

BY ANN DENION HOSKINS

Emotions ran high at a meeting attended by more than 200 parents to discuss the recent paid "home assignment" of the principal and five staff members of Bedford Hills Elementary School.

On Sept. 1, just days before the start of school, principal Victoria Graboski was arrested and charged with failing to report a case of suspected child abuse, a misdemeanor. The alleged abuse took place off school grounds and did not involve any staff, Bedford Central School District superintendent Debra Jackson said. No charges have been brought against any other staff member, she said.

Describing the past three weeks as an "emotional roller-coaster ride," Dr. Jackson assured frustrated and sometimes tearful parents that "our goal is to give you as much information as possible." She was referring to events surrounding the alleged rape of a 9-year-old student by Cesar Joel Sagastume-Morales, a 27-year-old construction worker from Guatemala who lived near the school. The child's mother found lewd pictures of her on the suspect's cell phone, according to reports.

But aside from describing the extensive steps taken to provide counseling and to ensure that the students receive seamless instruction, the information Dr. Jackson could provide was scant. The school district's attorney, John Gross, out-lined the laws that preclude district officials from discussing the case, and a panel of mental health experts were on hand to answer questions about how the news is being digested by the schoolchildren.

"We love the teachers here. Tell them we support them now more than ever," said parent Joe Torres to loud applause. But most of the comments expressed frustration and anger about a situation in which most of the facts have yet to be uncovered.

School board president Brad Sacks fielded a question from Sharon Silverman regarding the' board's recent hiring of the Long Island-based public relations firm Zimmerman Edelson Inc. on a four-month trial basis at $5,000 a month.

"Was it in response to this?" asked Ms. Silverman

"It provided the impetus to do something we've considered any-way," said Mr. Sacks. The board had previously discussed engaging the firm, which represents some 25 school districts, to provide information about positive things happening in the district, he said.

Dr. Jackson, who was also accompanied by a Spanish translator, said the children's welfare is her primary concern.

Staff and mental health experts compiled a list of answers to possible questions with the plan of letting the students broach the subject to avoid burdening them with more information than needed, she said.

Dr. Jackson had the protection of the children in mind when she decided not to send written information home to the parents via mail or the children's backpacks, she said. Any parent of a child whose teacher was put on home assignment received a call from the replacement teacher, but due to the late timing of the events that unfolded, the Sept. 7 meeting was the first and best opportunity to inform the other parents, she added.

"This affects the entire community," said parent Elizabeth Reed, who said she recently removed her daughter from the school for unrelated reasons. `"It's like a family. When one person gets hurt, we all suffer."