Scarsdale BOE president steps aside following antisemitic incident, according to letter
As News 12 has reported, flyers promoting a student-led Israeli culture club event were torn down and thrown away at Scarsdale High School last week. The principal said some of the flyers were found inside a urinal.
Scarsdale School Board president James C. Dugan will be stepping aside from his current role, following an antisemitic incident at the high school, according to a school board letter. Dugan will remain on the board for the remainder of the school year.
As News 12 has reported, flyers promoting a student-led Israeli culture club event were torn down and thrown away at Scarsdale High School last week. The principal said some of the flyers were found inside a urinal.
Parents were told that Dugan's daughter shared a photo of one of the flyers in a urinal on Instagram. Shared with the picture was text that said, "Keep up the good work."
Dugan condemned the initial incident.
An online petition was created calling for him to resign. Another petition was created online in support of him.
Before a school board meeting Tuesday, Dugan told News 12, "No comment."
In an announcement released Friday, Dugan said he has decided to step aside from the role of president for the remainder of his term.
"After reflection and prayer, I have decided to step aside from the role of President of the Scarsdale Board of Education for the remainder of my term. The events of the last several days have made clear that my continuing in the role would be too much of a distraction from the critical work of the Board. I am sorry for the pain that this community is suffering. I empathize with that pain, and I hope that we can find some peace and unity as we work together to address and remediate incidents of antisemitism and intolerance in our schools. As our community continues to heal, I am dedicated to continuing my work as a board member alongside my colleagues as we collaborate with our school administrators to develop programs that can bring us together as a united Scarsdale," said Dugan in a statement on the high school's website.
Board members say Dugan will continue to serve as a member of the board until the end of his term. Effective immediately, board vice president Colleen Brown will assume the responsibilities and leadership of the presidency until the board can elect a new president at an upcoming board meeting, according to a statement by board members.
"This was an extremely difficult and personal decision for Jim; one we know he did not want to make. For nearly 20 years, Jim and his family have been a part of the Scarsdale community. He has contributed tirelessly of himself in service to others through community organizations and, over the past five years, our school district. His dedication to our students and commitment to this community have been unwavering and heartfelt. He has been a driving force for many of the innovative and precedent-setting initiatives our District has implemented that continue to earn Scarsdale Schools a reputation as one of the finest public-school districts in the country," said a statement from the board of education.
