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Smithtown High School West. Photo from Wikipedia

By Sabrina Artusa

After years of alleged bullying, a Smithtown student is suing the school district, claiming inadequate handling of the abuse. An accused party is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

According to the $6 million lawsuit, the 16-year-old was allegedly subjected to degradation, mockery and even physical assault, which was recorded and shared.

The lawsuit accuses the Smithtown Central School District, Smithtown High School West, Superintendent of Schools Mark Secaur and the district Board of Education of enabling the bullying by failing to punish the bullying students and allowing them to remain in school, consequently creating an unsafe environment.

The bullying allegedly began in 2018, when the unnamed plaintiff, “A.S.,” as the lawsuit refers to her, was in sixth grade. The Accompsett Middle School principal, Paul McNeil, was alerted.

A.S. made the varsity cheerleading squad upon entering high school in 2021, along with one of her alleged bullies, referred to as “A.M.” in the lawsuit.

At a party in the summer of 2022, A.S. was allegedly screamed at by a fellow cheerleader, pulled to the ground by another girl and beaten, all while another teenager filmed the event, the suit claims. The video was allegedly shown to several school officials, including Secaur. 

The lawsuit states that after a period of homeschooling, which was allegedly deemed below par by the school district, A.S. had to return to school, where bullying allegedly persisted. While A.S. quit the cheerleading team, the suit claims the bully was allowed to remain.

“The group of girls continued to target anyone who talked to [A.S],” the lawsuit alleges. They would tell her friends “not to be friends with her, right in front of her.”

The parents of A.S. communicated with school officials and were promised several times that a plan would be put into place and that she would be monitored by security, the suit reads. Additionally, a school counselor allegedly promised to support the girl but never did so, according to the lawsuit.

Smithtown High School West employees allowed a friend to escort her to her classes but, when pressed by parents for a solution, allegedly said there is not enough staff.

“Parents sent several emails, phone calls, texts to school administration, and all went unanswered for weeks,” the lawsuit suggests.

In another incident, A.S. was targeted in the bathroom, where she was found by an employee crying in a stall. She named her bully but was not believed by school officials, who told the parents that the girl A.S. named was not involved.

The bullying students weren’t removed from the school, according to the lawsuit, which argues that the school was negligent in allowing the bullying students to remain in school “despite knowing about these students’ vicious and aggressive propensities.”

Parents bought A.S. an emotional support animal, a horse, which was then put down by veterinarians for reasons undisclosed. This event was allegedly weaponized by the bullies, who started calling her “horse girl.”

The family’s attorney, Kenneth Mollins, told the New York Post that the accuser “threatened to kill herself if they forced her to go back to school.”

The accuser’s family filled out forms under the Dignity for All Students Act — once in 2019 and again against the three assaulters in May 2023 — all deemed “unfounded.” The Dignity for All Students Act is designed to ensure “a safe and supportive student environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property.”

When questioned, the school district stated that it does not comment on matters pertaining to litigation. 

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SBU President Maurie McInnis delivered her State of the University address on Oct. 11. Photo by John Griffin/Stony Brook University
SBU President Maurie McInnis delivered her State of the University address on Oct. 11. Photo by John Griffin/Stony Brook University
Making a Difference: What’s Next for Stony Brook?

“A lot can happen in just a year at Stony Brook University…welcome to what’s next,” identified President Maurie McInnis, who delivered her second State of the University address to students, faculty, staff, elected representatives and local community members on Oct. 11. In addition to discussing the university’s numerous achievements since last year’s State of the University, President McInnis shared her and her team’s vision on how the flagship university is looking to continue its mission to “take on the big challenges, make a difference and change the world.”

According to the President, through the “close collaboration with faculty, staff and administrator across the institution, as well as welcomed support from government and institutions from across New York,” she reminded her audience of some of the university’s achievements since the last State of the University including:

  • Welcoming the first cohort of Simons STEM Scholar students;

  • The University being selected as the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island;

  • Achieving our highest ranking from the US News & World Report (#1 New York’s public college and #58 nationally)

  • Stony Brook University Hospital was named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2023 by Healthgrades,  putting it in the top one percent of the country;

  • Stony Brook garnered its highest state funding in a decade; and

  • The university received a $500 million endowment gift from the Simons Foundation which is the largest unrestricted endowment donation in the history of US higher education. It also serves to more than double the entire endowment previously held by the university.

Also, the President shared her strategy for success by implementing “the three Rs” which serve as guideposts to enable success: “Recognition,” “Revenue” and “Reputation.”

  • Stony Brook provides recognition by “celebrating the amazing faculty and staff [as well as students] who are building a culture of ambition and excellence.”

  • Regarding revenue, the university looks to raise the matching funds that will build our endowment and will look for ways to secure the ongoing support needed to grow and to maintain operations.

  • Stony Brook will continue to build our reputation by letting the world know that it is New York’s number one public university, a flagship institution, a top health care system hospital, and an innovative research university focused on addressing the world’s most important challenges.

President McInnis stressed the university’s efforts to develop more multidisciplinary collaborations to address important questions and tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time.  As the university moves forward, one of the priorities includes supporting faculty who are working at the spaces between disciplines and forming partnerships supporting climate science, clean energy, healthcare and quantum information science.

The President also addressed how the university community will use its past successes to pave the way to the future with programs like the new Collaborative for the Earth faculty-driven initiative that looks to leverage Stony Brook’s role as a climate solutions leader. It will bring together members from almost every school and college in the  university, representing a united effort to work across disciplines and perspectives to develop  equitable solutions.

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From left, Jack Damato, Sofia Ahmed, Eunice Jeon, Alyssa Pascale Standing: Timothy Russo, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; James Yu; Dr. Jordan Cox, Superintendent; Jonathan Zhang; Nicole Kregler, Director of Counseling, and Carrie Lipenholtz, Principal. Photo courtesy of Commack School District

Commack School District has announced that six students were selected as Semifinalists in the 69th annual 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program: Sofia Ahmed, Jack Damato, Eunice Jeon, Alyssa Pascale, James Yu and Jonathan Zhang. The National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC) honors students with exceptional academic capability and poses the potential for success in rigorous studies.

These talented students now have the opportunity to continue on in the competition. National Merit Scholarship winners for 2024 will be announced beginning in April and concluding in July. Good luck to our students as they continue the application process to become a finalist. Finalists compete for a $2500 scholarship or one of the college and university or corporate-sponsored scholarships.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program and to honor individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Photo: Permission granted for use on all digital and print platforms. Photo is Courtesy of the Commack School District.
Seated: From L to R: Jack Damato, Sofia Ahmed, Eunice Jeon, Alyssa Pascale
Standing: Timothy Russo, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; James Yu; Dr. Jordan Cox, Superintendent; Jonathan Zhang; Nicole Kregler, Director of Counseling, and Carrie Lipenholtz, Principal.

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Dr. Susan Hedayati, right, and Dr. Peter Igarashi attend the ASCI/AAP meeting in Chicago Spring 2023. Photo courtesy Hedayati

She is bringing two important parts of an effective team back together.

Dr. Susan Hedayati — pronounced heh-DYE-it-tee — recently joined the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University as vice dean for research. Hedayati was most recently a professor of medicine and associate vice chair for research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Hedayati plans to help improve Stony Brook Medical School’s national and international reputation by coupling frontline research with translational and patient-oriented care and studies.

The combination of a research and clinical care focus will provide for the “betterment of the health of Long Island population of patients,” Hedayati said.

In addition to enhancing clinical care, such an approach would “facilitate funding of investigator-initiated [National Institute of Health] grants and aid in the recruitment and retention of excellent M.D.-investigators,” she explained in an email.

She said she is eager to build an institutional clinical trials infrastructure that would involve a dedicated research support team.

Adding Hedayati to the medical school faculty at Stony Brook University, where she will also serve as the Lina Obeid chair in biomedical sciences, also brings two prominent kidney specialists who have different approaches to their work back together again.

Dr. Peter Igarashi, dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine and a nationally recognized nephrologist, had recruited and collaborated with Hedayati when she joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center after winning first place in a clinical research award at the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation Young Investigator Forum.

When Igarashi first met Hedayati as a judge of the fellowship competition, he suggested that her expertise stood out clearly.

“She has enormous content expertise in the field of nephrology and internal medicine more broadly,” he said.

He was also impressed with her “passion” for research and her “devotion to patients and research,” which has also made her a “perfect fit” for her current position at Stony Brook University.

Combining research and clinical care will enable SBU to provide one-stop shopping at facilities like the specialty practices in Commack and the one recently opened in Lake Grove in the former Sears building at the Smith Haven Mall, he said.

Patients can receive clinical care at the same time that they can enroll in clinical trials for potential treatments of some conditions.

Hedayati “set that up at the University of Texas at Southwestern, and I’m hoping she’ll be able to grow that capability here,” Igarashi said.

Igarashi also described Hedayati, who was offered the job after a committee conducted the search, as “personable and likable.”

Complementary strengths

Igarashi described the different research approaches he and Hedayati take as “complementary” strengths.

Igarashi’s research is basic, wet lab science, while Hedayati has focused on translational and clinical research.

Their backgrounds will “be very helpful for elevating the entire research enterprise, not only in basic science but also in clinical and translational research,” Igarashi noted.

For her part, Hedayati suggested that her short-term goal is to build the physical infrastructure for clinical research and clinical trials.

Such efforts will require a clinical research staff infrastructure composed of research coordinators, research managers, regulatory personnel and biostatisticians.

“I’m hoping that, within a year, we’re going to be making some big strides in those directions,” Hedayati said.

She also hopes to build upon the existing medical scientist training program for M.D./Ph.D. students to establish a physician training program for residents to retain M.D. investigators in academic and biomedical research careers. That, she suggested, is a pool that is dwindling nationally.

Ongoing research

Hedayati, who is transferring most of her grants to Stony Brook, plans to continue conducting her own research.

She has been studying the link between chronic kidney disease, which affects about one in seven people, and other conditions, such as premature cardiovascular disease, susceptibility to depression and the role of inflammation.

“This is an area that’s prevalent, but understudied,” said Igarashi. 

She is searching for nontraditional biomarkers associated with kidney function decline, especially in patients with heart failure.

Patients with heart failure are at increased risk of acute and chronic kidney failure.

Igarashi is confident that Stony Brook’s new vice dean for research will serve patients on Long Island and beyond.

“She would not have taken this job unless we assured her that she would be able to continue to see patients in the clinic as well as in the hospital,” said Igarashi. “That is a core value for her.”

Echoing those sentiments, Hedayati suggested she has a “patient-centered approach in everything I do.”

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Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano

By Mallie Jane Kim

Internet controversy over a novel taught to Ward Melville High School juniors spilled over into the public comment section of a board of education meeting Wednesday, Sept. 27, when two concerned parents stood up to support the book and caution against efforts to ban it.

The book in question, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and a multi-award winner, is a semi-autobiographical novel about a young Native American growing up on an Indian reservation who leaves his underfunded reservation school in favor of a majority-white public school in a neighboring town. The problem expressed by some parents is that in this coming-of-age story about a teenage boy struggling to discover his identity, there are a few passages where the speaker discusses his sexual self-discovery.

The administration has received calls in favor of and against the novel, but there have been no official requests from parents of students actually studying the book, according to Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Brian Biscari. “It’s a bigger online issue than an actual issue,” Biscari said.

The controversy started when a parent shared a passage mentioning self-pleasure in a screenshot on a local Facebook group, Three Village Moms, where it was both attacked and supported in a series of nearly 500 comments. Some commenters expressed concern over sexualizing children too early, or that the passages may be too explicit for required reading in a Regents course.

Others asked their peers to consider the passage in context of the entire book, or worried the rhetoric might foment into a movement to ban the book, in light of efforts to censor literature at school districts nationwide.

The American Library Association has noted a “record surge” in requests to remove books from libraries and public schools during the first eight months of 2023, and primarily books “by or about a person of color of a member of the LGBTQIA+ community,” according to a Sept. 19 statement.

At the board meeting, district parent Ian Farber said exposure to an unfamiliar point of view is one of this book’s strengths. “This book provides a valuable perspective of a Native American who grew up on a reservation, a perspective that would be foreign to many of us without books like this one,” said Farber, who has also been a part of the district’s budget advisory committee.

Farber shrugged off the concerns over the passages about an aspect of human sexuality that, he said, most students know about by 11th grade. Instead, he praised the “robust and diverse” curriculum in Three Village school district and emphasized that the passages causing outrage are not even a main point of the book.

“He had a teacher that inspired him to do more with his life than previous generations — we should all want our children to achieve more than we have. This is a key part of the American Dream, and as such this book is patriotic in the best sense of the word.”

Anne Chimelis, a retired teacher and parent in the district, agreed in her public comment. “If we start banning books due to a single word that makes some people uncomfortable, we’re going down a very slippery slope,” she said.

Biscari noted that the district is happy to provide a list of novels taught in Three Village schools to parents who ask, and there is a clear process for parents to request for a materials review for novels in their child’s grade level if they have a concern. If that process does not go the way parents hope, he added, each parent is also welcome to opt a child out of a particular book.

On Alexie’s book, though, Biscari said most of the calls he’s gotten are from parents “who love the fact that there’s a book their kids can read and relate to.”

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Elwood-John H. Glenn High School senior Lauren LaMena, second from right, is named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Photo courtesy ESD

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School senior Lauren LaMena was recently named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

She was recognized for her exceptional academic performances on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during the last school year.

Now in its 69th year, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation annually announces the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists who go on to compete for 7,140 scholarships, totaling nearly $28 million.  

“Lauren is an outstanding leader and role model both in the classroom and on the athletic field,” principal Corey McNamara said. “It is always great to see our students get the well-deserved recognition that they have worked so hard for while here at John Glenn. Congratulations to Lauren and her family.”

“I’m really honored to be recognized as a semifinalist, but I would also like to acknowledge that none of this would be possible without all of the support I have received over the years from my school, my teachers and my family,” LaMena said. “I am also really excited about all of the opportunities this could bring.”

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Photo by Samantha Rut

By Samantha Rutt

Amid the start of a new academic year, Stony Brook University will host a program during National Hazing Prevention Week.

This annual program takes place during the last full week of September, designed to raise awareness, educate students and promote hazing prevention.

Member of Theta Phi Alpha, an SBU-recognized sorority, Samantha Navarro, explained her experience with the event.

“During this week, Theta Phi Alpha members, as well as other sororities and fraternities on campus, come together to attend and support events that foster and educate hazing prevention.”

Hazing, often characterized by dangerous initiation rituals and activities, has long plagued college campuses, leading to injuries, psychological trauma and, in tragic cases, even death.

Per New York State hazing laws, a person is guilty of hazing in the first degree when he/she intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct, including, but not limited to, making physical contact with or requiring the physical activity of such other person, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person and thereby causes such injury. 

Hazing in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.

“Hazing is not tolerated at Stony Brook,” SBU officials said. “The university has set in place policies and procedures to prevent hazing, including a comprehensive prevention program.”

The NHPW Committee hosts weeklong events featuring various presentations, campaigns, competitions and a documentary screening.

“Through the specific events during this week, as well as efforts taken on by every member, we put 100% of our efforts into fostering and promoting a positive and inclusive chapter that promotes against hazing,” Navarro said.

During NHPW, all executive board members and active fraternity and sorority community members must complete a one-hour awareness course, providing them with further education on recognizing, reporting and preventing hazing. 

“Ongoing training and development with student leaders is pivotal in promoting a hazing-free campus,” university officials said. “Continuing the conversations around hazing prevention and the impact of hazing on a university encourages students to stay informed and ahead of hazing national and state policies.”

To aid in the fight against hazing, Stony Brook University offers a prevention pledge, asking those who sign to advocate for the prevention of all hazing-related behaviors.

SBU officials indicated that being found guilty of hazing or violating university policy may result in organizational conduct proceedings, sanctions, corrective action and/or a change in organizational status.

In these cases, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards receives, investigates and resolves alleged violations of the Code of Student Responsibility involving nonacademic misconduct by students. Disciplinary actions depend on the severity of the incident, in adherence with university policy.

Annual reporting conducted by the university and Fraternity and Sorority Life Community Scorecards show a considerable improvement and decrease in actionable hazing cases. 

Student Engagement and Activities and Fraternity and Sorority Life tracks conduct of university-affiliated organizations, observing that the numbers of actionable cases have significantly decreased compared to previous years due to prevention efforts and a culture change in students.

“Hazing is detrimental in any context, and it has no place in Theta Phi Alpha or Stony Brook University,” Navarro said.

Students can report hazing through a variety of means. If emergent, students are urged to report immediately to law enforcement, whether by contacting University Police — 333 on campus phones or 631-632-3333 or by dialing 9-1-1.

Students can also file an incident report to any campus faculty, staff, or administrator, or follow Stony Brook’s Good Samaritan Policy.

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Photo from The Stony Brook School

By Samantha Rutt

Following adjournment from the previous Town of Brookhaven Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, The Stony Brook School’s application for expansion was approved Wednesday, Sept. 20, with some modifications.

Amid public scrutiny, the school altered its plans to expand, eliminating the proposed indoor practice facility.

“We want to be good neighbors, we really do,” Joshua Crane, head of The Stony Brook School, said. “The idea that just because we can, didn’t really sit well with us. So when we came up with the idea of this new building, we proposed it out in a particular portion of our campus — that ultimately would have an impact on neighbors from a height and size perspective.”

The boarding and day school’s original plan included the construction of three new buildings on the campus, including a sizable indoor practice facility, reaching a height of 46 feet and a floor area ratio of 35,000 square feet, along with a new dormitory building and STEM building. 

Leading up to Wednesday’s meeting, nearby residents voiced concern about the school’s plan, alleging it would decrease property values and increase traffic.

“Local real estate agents suggest my property value will decrease … especially if there is a huge metal building constructed in what is basically my backyard,” said Stony Brook resident Jenny Lorenzen.

Several residents attended Wednesday’s ZBA meeting, hoping the school would uphold its promise to do away with the indoor practice facility. At the meeting, the prep school’s lawyer, Eric J. Russo, had a sidebar conversation with neighborhood representatives, promising to uphold the updated plans.

Crane spoke about the updated plan for constructing a facility to adequately house the school’s program needs.

“We’ve gone back to the drawing board, and we’re looking at a different area of campus,” he said. “That will basically give us about a third of the size that we had originally proposed but still meet our program needs because athletics is becoming more and more important here.”

Residents’ primary concerns were consistent with the size of the proposed sports facility and the addition of entry and exit routes that could add traffic to existing narrow roadways in the neighborhood.

“Bottom line is I do not want this project to affect our neighborhood roads,” said Anne Ryan, a Stony Road resident for over 40 years. “I understand the need to update the campus, but it should not affect our peaceful neighborhood.”

Following the outcome, former opponents of the project expressed their relief. “I am thankful,” Lorenzen said of the newly updated plans. “I am hopeful for the continuation of tranquility and peace in our lovely Stony Brook neighborhood.”

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The existing outdoor bleachers at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
By Lynn Hallarman

The price tag for replacement bleachers at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School has prompted scrutiny from Port Jefferson Civic Association, which is seeking a full accounting of the project’s costs from the Port Jefferson School District.

District voters approved several capital projects in May 2022 as part of the 2022-23 budget, earmarking $561,000 for replacement bleachers.

During the Aug. 29 special meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Jessica Schmettan said the bids for the bleacher replacement project came in at nearly double what the budget had allotted — $1 million for downsized seating of 650 from the current capacity of 750 seats.

“This [cost] includes a new press box, erosion control, removal and disposal of the existing bleachers, press box removal and disposal of the concrete slab, cut-and-fill leaching pools, an asphalt walkway, reinforcement of the concrete bleacher plant and the bleacher rows, press box power and topsoil,” according to Schmettan.

The school district’s media liaison forwarded an email stating that the district “is in the process of re-bidding the proposed bleacher replacement project through a series of six different configurations, each at various price points,” noting that “no decision has been finalized.”

At the Sept. 13 meeting of the civic association, several members advocated for finding an alternative to the proposed bleacher replacement project with greater clarity over the school board’s vetting process for incoming bids.

“We are not against the safety of our students and fulfilling [Americans with Disabilities Act] requirements,” civic board members said in an email to the superintendent. But, “this significant increase in expenditure has raised great concern among our members,” adding that PJCA members “still have more questions than answers.”

Civic president Ana Hozyainova said attention to district expenditures is linked to other worries among village residents, such as rising taxes amid an aging population.

The downtrend in student enrollment in Port Jefferson — a 25% loss between 2011 and 2021, according to a 2022 district report — is not isolated to Port Jeff but part of a nationwide phenomenon, with persons over 65 years of age predicted to outnumber children by 2030, according to the Census Bureau.

Retrofitting the existing 60-year-old bleachers was also discussed as a possible alternative during the August BOE meeting, though it is unlikely to save costs, according to Schmettan.

“While structurally sound, [the bleachers] present a liability risk because of gaps between the benches and must be brought to current code, including ADA compliance, if any modifications are made,” the superintendent said.

The BOE proposed that funds approved by the voters in May 2022 for pool deck repairs be put off until the next budget cycle and instead use current funds to cover the additional costs of replacement bleachers.

“The pool deck repairs won’t be able to be done this budget cycle anyway because the [Suffolk] County Board of Health hasn’t approved it,” Schmettan said.

Some civic members objected to this approach to cover the bleacher replacement’s additional costs.

“We live on an island, surrounded by water in a harbor, and a lot of kids go swimming and fishing,” PJCA member Gail Sternberg said at the August meeting. “I don’t think [the pool repairs] should be less of a priority than the bleachers.”

PJCA has formally requested through the state Freedom of Information Law to examine the complete, itemized bids received by the district for the bleacher replacement project to better inform its members about the potential costs.

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Constitution Day at North Ridge Primary School. Photo courtesy of Commack School District
Constitution Day is celebrated at Sawmill Intermediate School. Photo courtesy of Commack Central School District

We the People – History in Action
Students across the Commack School District celebrated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day this year by honoring the foundational document of the United States. They wore patriotic colors, learned about the Constitution’s history, read the Preamble, made a patriotic video about the Constitution, and learned about the flag and other symbols of American democracy. They also paid their respects to those who fought for our freedom.

At Sawmill Intermediate School, students participated in a variety of activities to learn about the Constitution and its importance. They read the Preamble aloud, and discussed its key principles, and designed artwork to celebrate the document.

At North Ridge Primary School, students held a special ceremony outside to commemorate Constitution Day, singing patriotic songs and displaying the American Flag.

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