District Hiring Leave Replacements for 2 Hommocks Counselors

by Judy Silberstein

(November 29, 2007) In a letter dated November 29, Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent Paul Fried informs Hommocks parents that the district has begun the process of hiring leave replacements for two counselors, Elizabeth Denhoff and Haruko Hirose, who havae been out of school on administrative assignment since October 29. (See: Two HMX Guidance Counselors Administratively Reassigned.) He thanks the remaining counselors, psychologists and social workers who have been filling in, but said “we know that the needs of our middle school students require four full-time counselors.” One new counselor is expected to begin as early as next week. (See Dr. Fried's November 29 letter.)

The new counselors will be hired for “an indeterminate amount of time” said Joan Rosen, spokesperson for the district. She also said there are a lot of applicants interested in the position.

In his letter, Dr. Fried indicated that these sorts of personnel decisions are shared by him with the four central staff administrators and school attorneys and that the administration does not act “without the awareness and support of the School Board.”

He recognized community frustration over how much information has been released, writing, “While this is frustrating for you to hear and as frustrating for me to say, some situations involve job-related personnel issues, and the district is precluded by state law from discussing them.” He added, “There is no ‘right to know’ in the law regarding information of a personal nature as some have said via petitions and the media. Rather there is a right to personal privacy of individual employees..”

Dr. Fried was referring to an online petition that states: “ As concerned parents and taxpayers, we believe we have the right to know why the two most highly qualified guidance counselors at the Hommocks Middle School have been 'administratively reassigned,' why 1,200 students have been left to rely on two much less experienced counselors, and why this situation has continued since October 29."  (See: Online petition.)

As of November 29, there were over 200 signatures and many comments – both anonymous and identified. Many comments included praise or support for the two counselors; others expressed concern over whether children were receiving needed services. Some commentators were angry that so little is known about why the counselors were removed from the school, while others expressed understanding for the district’s legal obligations to remain silent. There were some criticisms of the principal and the administration and one negative remark about the counselors, which was attributed by another poster to a disgruntled former district employee.

Reached for additional comment, Ann Borsellino, president of the Mamaroneck Teachers Association, said “If it’s going to take longer – whatever they are doing – I’m glad and I’m thankful that they’re seeing that we need more bodies in here to counsel the children.”

Ms. Borsellino declined to discuss why the two counselors had been assigned to administrative duties and what is preventing them from returning to their jobs. In response to a question of her support she said, “Do I support the counselors? Of course I do – I just don’t know anything. I know what they know.”

The two counselors have also said little. Ms. Hirose has made no comment.

Elizabeth Denhoff has thanked her supporters in a November 24 posting to the petition website. She stressed that “I have never jeopardized the trust that you have placed in me” and wrote “I dearly miss all of my Hommocks families and am anxiously awaiting my return to the work I love.”

The districts’ hiring of replacement counselors, however, suggests that Ms. Denhoff and Ms. Hirose will not be returning soon – if at all.

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