Vol. 37, No. 11 3 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019
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ONE DOLLAR
Empty
bowls Willy
Wonka
Page 17 Page 16
w w w .W V T I M ESON L I N E . c om
Old wounds reopen in Pine Bush
School district again responds to anti-semitism charges
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Concerns over anti-Semitism and other
acts of intolerance are being resurrected
in the Pine Bush School District after
survey results from a school climate
survey revealed a number of students
who had reported seeing or hearing acts
of intolerance.
The 2018-19 School Climate Student
Questionnaire gathered 2,300 responses
from the high school and two middle
schools.
In the 2018-19 survey, 33 percent of
students reported sometimes, often,
or frequently to the question, “since
September 2017, have you ever heard anti-
Semitic slurs, Holocaust “jokes”, the word
“Jew” in a pejorative sense, or white
power chants, seen Hitler salutes, other
students throwing pennies or observed
swastikas at your school?”
An additional 27 percent of students
responded “rarely” to the same question.
The attorneys at Emery, Celli,
Brinckerhoff and Abady, LLP, who
represented Jewish students who sued
the district for indifference surrounding
anti-Semitic harassment in 2012, issued
a letter in response to the report, stating
there is still a shocking amount of anti-
Semitism in the school.
“In all, since September 2017, an
astonishing 61.91% of District students in
these three schools personally witnessed
or experienced overt anti-Semitic conduct
in school. That percentage reflects 1,424
Continued on page 3
Hide in Plain Sight
Orange/Ulster BOCES photo
Pine Bush Elementary students celebrated their first-place finish in the Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Region 5 Tournament,
Saturday, run by Orange-Ulster BOCES. They won first-place in Problem 2: Hide in Plain Sight and will advance to the New York State Odyssey
of the Mind Tournament on March 23, 2019 at SUNY Binghamton. Additional photo on page 3.
Parish
expresses
shock over
O’Hare
allegations
By LAURA FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Members of Holy Name of Mary-
Assumption Parish, which serves
Montgomery and Maybrook, expressed
shock and disbelief after allegations of
sexual abuse of a
minor came out
against Reverend
Daniel O’Hare, who
has been pastor of
the church since
1996.
The
alleged
misconduct would
have occurred in the Rev. Daniel O’Hare
1990s. The allegation
was forwarded to the archdiocese from
the Orange County District Attorney.
Several members described O’Hare as
a kind, spiritual man who cares about his
congregants above all else.
“He is a wonderful, kind man who
always put people ahead of himself,”
church member Judy Nelson said.
Church member Pete Cunningham said
they do not believe the allegations against
O’Hare are true and will stand behind
the pastor with their congregation. They
agreed the kind-hearted man they know
could not commit such a horrific act, and
Continued on page 4
SERVING CRAWFORD, GARDINER, MAYBROOK, MONTGOMERY, PINE BUSH, SHAWANGUNK, WALDEN AND WALLKILL