Friday, January 08, 2010
East Ramapo school board will seek bids to replace attorney
The East Ramapo Board of Education announced Thursday that it would seek bids from competing law firms to replace longtime school district attorney Stephen Fromson.
The move is a departure from a controversial November vote in which the board voted to dismiss Fromson and hire Albert D'Agostino, a lawyer under investigation for his alleged role in improperly accepting $600,000 in state pensions.
Board President Nathan Rothschild said Thursday that during an executive session, the board unanimously decided late Wednesday night to advertise a request for proposal over the course of the coming two weeks.
He said that because the agreement was a "general decision" reached through board conversation rather than a formal vote, the proceedings were not open to the public.
By accepting bids, the board has opened the position of the school district's attorney to any law firm wishing to fill the role.
The controversy began Nov. 18 when the board voted to hire the law firm of Minerva & D'Agostino, dismissing Fromson.
On Dec. 2, the board decided to allow Fromson to finish work on his existing cases but to hire the Nyack firm Feerick, Lynch and MacCartney to counsel them until a final decision on D'Agostino's hiring could be reached.
The firm's term was extended Wednesday by four more weeks, the second such extension since the initial December appointment.
While many see the move to accept proposals from competing law firms as a step toward settling D'Agostino's controversial hiring, board member Mimi Calhoun said she was troubled by the decision to dismiss Fromson because he had served the district "wisely" and "with continuity" over the last 33 years.
"I've always perceived him as an anchor for us," she said. "As a result of the November vote, the request for proposal appears to be the best option for us to move forward."
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100108/NEWS03/1080354/-1/newsfront/East-Ramapo-school-board-will-seek-bids-to-replace-attorney
The move is a departure from a controversial November vote in which the board voted to dismiss Fromson and hire Albert D'Agostino, a lawyer under investigation for his alleged role in improperly accepting $600,000 in state pensions.
Board President Nathan Rothschild said Thursday that during an executive session, the board unanimously decided late Wednesday night to advertise a request for proposal over the course of the coming two weeks.
He said that because the agreement was a "general decision" reached through board conversation rather than a formal vote, the proceedings were not open to the public.
By accepting bids, the board has opened the position of the school district's attorney to any law firm wishing to fill the role.
The controversy began Nov. 18 when the board voted to hire the law firm of Minerva & D'Agostino, dismissing Fromson.
On Dec. 2, the board decided to allow Fromson to finish work on his existing cases but to hire the Nyack firm Feerick, Lynch and MacCartney to counsel them until a final decision on D'Agostino's hiring could be reached.
The firm's term was extended Wednesday by four more weeks, the second such extension since the initial December appointment.
While many see the move to accept proposals from competing law firms as a step toward settling D'Agostino's controversial hiring, board member Mimi Calhoun said she was troubled by the decision to dismiss Fromson because he had served the district "wisely" and "with continuity" over the last 33 years.
"I've always perceived him as an anchor for us," she said. "As a result of the November vote, the request for proposal appears to be the best option for us to move forward."
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100108/NEWS03/1080354/-1/newsfront/East-Ramapo-school-board-will-seek-bids-to-replace-attorney
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