Sachem Trustee ‘Verbally Attacked’ Student: Mom To BOE

FARMINGVILLE, NY — The parent of a Sachem East High School student told Board of Education members that her 14-year-old daughter was confronted by former school board trustee James Mancaruso, whom she described as an intruder who used his position to gain access to the school, and he verbally attacked her, screaming and cursing.

She went on to say that there was no intervention by security and no lockdown procedure was undertaken, as Mancaruso came “face-to-face” with the young girl during the June 9 incident, in an auditorium full of children, and it is something that keeps her family up at night.

“We relive this day, again and again, and quite frankly, do not wish to do that again,” the mother told the board at their regular public meeting, her voice quivering as she spoke standing next to her husband.

Patch is not identifying the mother to protect the identity of her underage child.

She addressed the board in the public portion after they voted to accept Mancaruso’s letter of resignation, taking the matter out of order at the start of the meeting.

Once the motion was passed, members of the audience erupted with cheers and applause.

“We appreciate the right thing was done as an end result; nobody, no matter who you are, is above the rules, above keeping our kids safe,” she said.

Patch previously reported that the police were investigating a report they received from a Sachem East High School student that a man “yelled and cursed at her on school grounds.”

The incident, which transpired at about 1:30 p.m., was being investigated by 6th Precinct Crime Section officers, a police spokeswoman said. No further details were released from Suffolk’s public information office at the time.

Suffolk police “do not speak about suspects or if accusations have been made against someone,” a spokeswoman said.

News 12 was able to confirm Mancaruso’s identity as the subject of the incident documented with the police and reported that according to an attorney representing him, he was told that his child was in danger and about to be jumped by three other students during a series of phone calls.

Mancaruso made numerous phone calls to school officials, then went to the building and was let into the school, and he went with school staff to where his child was on the school grounds, according to the attorney, the news outlet reported.

However, the attorney did not tell News 12 what transpired next.

Mancaruso's attorney told the news outlet that his client acted out of love and fear for his child, who he believed was in imminent danger and that he reacted the way that he did as any loving parent would.

The mother described the accusation as single, isolated, and proven to have no credibility.

Her family has decided not to press charges “against Mr. Mancaruso” after speaking with Suffolk County police, she told the board.

She asked that security at the school be addressed so that a similar incident does not happen in the future.

Schools Superintendent Christopher Pellettieri did not directly respond to a reporter’s inquiry about the allegations.

In a statement from a public relations company, he had this to say: “The district and Board of Education are aware of the alleged incident and an investigation is underway. We are reviewing our safety protocols and have contacted the proper authorities. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always a top priority. We take these allegations very seriously.

At the time, school board members were poised to accept Mancaruso’s resignation Wednesday night during their regular meeting, according to their online agenda.

At the meeting, Pellettieri said the incident resulted in the action that was taken by the board.

In an email response to parents on Tuesday, Pellettieri described the incident as “indeed under investigation” and that “the proper authorities were contacted.”

“I visited the school the following day to review safety and security protocols and we added additional staff for the remainder of the regular school year at [Sachem East High School], which is through tomorrow,” he wrote.

He went on to say that “any information that can he shared” will be released “at the conclusion of the investigation.”

“Safety and security of our students and staff is always paramount!” Pellettieri concluded.

The mother went on to applaud her daughter’s classmates, who witnessed the event, for telling their parents, and opined that the situation could have been handled better, adding, “We need to be better as adults to model how to communicate, how to handle conflict, how to practice self-control.

“This never had to happen, and that’s the most unfortunate part,” she said.

The mother described the students, saying, “these young, impressionable minds never should have witnessed what they did that day at the place where they should be the safest in their classroom.”