Video: Charter school meeting erupts, board shuts it down

The Riverhead Charter School Board of Trustees hastily shut down a packed public meeting last night after the board was unable to maintain control of the crowd. 

“That’s it. Folks we’re gonna shut it down now. We’re going to go into executive session because there’s no control here,” trustee Harry Histand said, rising to his feet, as shouting broke out among parents jammed into the classroom where the meeting took place. (Continued below)

The fracas erupted when former charter school teacher Mary Ellen Weaver began reading a statement in which she referred to a child support enforcement petition against Riverhead Charter School principal Raymond Ankrum she said she found in Maryland court records posted online.

Board president Zenobia Hartfield interrupted Weaver, objecting to “unfounded, unsubstantiated allegations” that she said Weaver has made to the board every month. Hartfield then got into a back-and-forth with Weaver and others — and things went downhill from there. Soon, many were speaking simultaneously, voices rising in anger, prompting Histand to declare that the board was going into executive session and everybody had to leave the room.

“Everybody’s got to leave,” echoed board member Sue Heintz.

But the agitated crowd was not quick to disperse.

“We’re not leaving until we get some answers to this problem,” one angry mother said.

“What problem?” Heintz replied. “That’s a disgruntled teacher,” she said, gesturing toward Weaver.

Weaver resigned her teaching position at RCS last year after four years there and has made numerous complaints to the board about the principal, about board governance and about alleged violations of the school’s charter.

New York State United Teachers last month filed improper labor practice charges against the school, accusing the principal and administration of union-busting. The complaints, filed with the Public Employees Relations Board, cite the termination of three teachers since September and the alleged harassment of a current teacher. (See March 27 story, “Riverhead Charter School under fire for ‘union-busting,’ according to NYSUT improper labor practice charge.”) The charges will be the subject of a hearing before an administrative law judge, perhaps as early as next month, according to NYSUT Local 22170 regional staff director Peter Verdon.

Principal Raymond Ankrum did not attend the board meeting. A group of about 10 teachers, all wearing RCS T-shirts, were in attendance. They did not speak during the meeting, but conversed with parents in the hallway after the public was booted from the classroom.

“These complaints are from disgruntled teachers,” teacher Robert Cook told a distraught mother. “He is the best administrator this school has ever had.”

Cook and the other teachers refused a reporter’s request for comment.

One parent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said after the meeting she has been very happy with the school, its teachers and the principal, but is concerned about the current unrest and controversy.

“It’s always been positive for the children’s well-being and education,” she said. “I have not experienced anything negative about the principal or this school. I am a little concerned about what I’ve heard,though. I hope that everything is false and solely based on disgruntled teachers let go due to their lack of performance,” she said.