Superintendent Ianni, left, and Laurie Kowalsky, right, at the Nov. 12 Oyster Bay-East Norwich board meeting
Hannah Devlin
An Oyster Bay-East Norwich parent alleges that school trustees are ducking service on legal papers she is trying to serve to compel a hearing. to resolve disputes between parents and schools districts.
Heather Nadolny said she has been going to the board of education members’ homes to serve the papers has had no success.
“I feel like they’re putting me in a hardship so I’ll give up,” Nadolny said.
The district, which filed a cease and desist order against Nadolny, declined comment on the matter.
“They don’t want to be served,” said George Deabold, an advocate for Nadolny.
Nadolny said she overheard board members instructing their families not to open the door for her.
“They’re acknowledging that they’re purposefully not complying,” she said.
The district sent her a cease and desist letter to stop all unauthorized visits to private homes, she said.
“They’re elected officials, we’re holding them accountable and they don’t want to accept service,” Deabold said.
“This district is like the wild west,” he said.
Nadolny alleged that there is a private investigator following her and her family, who takes photos of her and follows her.
She said the private investigator works for the Oyster Bay-East Norwich school district.
Nadolny said her interactions with the board of education stem from an incident last October when her son was put on homebound instruction.
Nadolny said the tutors and instructors were not attentive during the homebound instruction period.
“They didn’t properly educate him,” she said.
She said the math teacher would log off sessions an hour early, and her son was not given grades or progress reports during his homebound instruction period.
“They refused to give him the geometry regents review book.” she said. “They gave him the living environment regents review book four days before the regent.”
Nadolny said she filed a 504 hearing request on Aug. 1, saying her son was receiving unequal opportunities during remote learning.
The request was denied by Lynette Abruzzo, the director of special services, she said.
Deabold said Abruzzo was not qualified to reject hearing requests.
Nadolny said she filed another hearing request for denial of due process on Oct. 12 and was given a hearing.
The school appointed a former school administrator who was not qualified to hear the case, Nadolny
On Nov. 19, Nadolny filed a request for another hearing with Oyster Bay Superintendent Francesco Iann, who denied the request, she said.
Nadolny said she is currently in the process of filing a fourth 504 complaint for evading service.