The character of Amagansett School's principal, Maria Dorr, was the focus of a disciplinary hearing on Oct. 30, but school attorneys repeatedly steered discussion back to the central issue: a missing red envelope with a $25 Amazon gift card enclosed.
Ms. Dorr's job has been on the line since January, when an interim school superintendent suspended her with pay following an accusation that she stole the gift card, and the district began the process of removing the tenured administrator, known in New York State education law as a 3020-a inquiry.
On behalf of the school district, Ellen Vega and Steve Goodstadt were brief in their questions posed to a character witness, Meredith Cairns: Do you have personal knowledge of the case? Have you seen security footage from the incident? And finally, have you reviewed notes from the investigation?
For Ms. Cairns, a former school board member and parent of an Amagansett School graduate, the answer each time was "no."
At the six-hour hearing, two witnesses — both called by Ms. Dorr's New York State School Administrators Association representatives, Arthur Scheuermann and Brian Deinhart — testified to the character of the principal. Both spoke highly of Mr. Dorr, specifically praising her impact on students' lives.
Before Ms. Cairns took the virtual stand for direct examination, Mr. Goodstadt objected to her testimony. Her name was not on the witness list, he argued, and she had not previously been mentioned in any testimony. In addition, she had not been involved with the school for over two years.
"The totality of the circumstances must be looked at when you're seeking termination," the hearing officer, Timothy Taylor said, citing the Court of Appeals. In this case, the "totality" includes testimony about Ms. Dorr's character, Mr. Taylor ruled.
Another objection came from Mr. Goodstadt when Mr. Scheuermann asked what Ms. Cairns had heard from the community about the principal's honesty. "Now we're asking for double hearsay," Mr. Goodstadt said.
Mr. Taylor sided with the petitioner, telling Mr. Scheuermann, "You did not say you were going to be calling reputational testimony," which differs from testimony about character. With that, Mr. Scheuermann retooled his question, asking Ms. Cairns for her own view of Ms. Dorr's character.
"She was the heart and soul of the school. I wouldn't have the daughter I have today without her leadership in that school," Ms. Cairns answered, concluding Mr. Scheuermann's line of questioning.
The respondent attorneys also called Nika Nesgoda, a parent whose children formerly attended Amagansett School, to testify as a character witness. Again, Mr. Goodstadt objected to the testimony outright, questioning the relevance. Mr. Taylor overruled his objection, allowing the witness to take the stand.
"I was very impressed with Maria's devotion to the children, first of all. That's what mattered to her the most," Ms. Nesgoda said in direct examination. "She always stayed late and made sure that everyone had what they needed."
Ms. Nesgoda said she'd first heard about the incident in the newspaper over the summer, which prompted her to come forward and testify because "it didn't sound right."
During cross-examination, Mr. Goodstadt asked Ms. Nesgoda what exactly she had read in the newspaper. The witness said she saw a headline and read through the attached story.
"When I read about that red envelope going missing and Maria Dorr being accused, it just didn't add up to me and something seemed very wrong," the witness said.
Then, Mr. Goodstadt returned to his central line of questioning: You've not seen the case? You haven't seen any video footage? And, you have no knowledge of the investigation?
Again, each time the answer was "no."
Earlier, the hearing got off to a testy start with the cross-examination of the former superintendent Seth Turner. Mr. Goodstadt asked Mr. Turner about his knowledge of the fact pattern and the purpose of the hearing.
"You're laying down the fact pattern and I have no knowledge of what the fact pattern is," Mr. Turner said. "I'm just here to answer your questions." Immediately after, he testified that he had nothing to do with the missing red envelope.
Questions about school cybersecurity — "Does it involve email surveillance of employees?" — slipped quickly into an inquiry about Mr. Turner searching through Ms. Dorr's emails 27 times prior to his resignation in October 2023. "I don't think that's accurate," Mr. Turner responded.
Mr. Scheuermann objected to the relevance of the question. However, Mr. Taylor deemed the objection moot, as the question had already been "asked and answered."
From there, the lengthy cross-examination only increased in intensity, with Mr. Taylor eventually asking the participants to "turn the temperature down" in response to a 2021 letter placed on screen about an independent hardship waiver, an official document which allows schools to have less than the required number of independent school evaluators if it places an "undue" burden on the school.
The questions then became more personal, as Mr. Goodstadt asked Mr. Turner if he liked the school district. "I take offense to your comments," Mr. Turner responded.
Several more questions — largely about Mr. Turner's "trust" in other school employees and documents he sent himself upon resigning — sparked an objection from the respondent attorneys alleging that Mr. Goodstadt had begun "testifying."
"We're not going to turn this into a mini trial," Mr. Taylor said in response. "We're not going to put Mr. Turner on trial; he's not on trial."
When Christina McElroy — the school's occupational therapist who was meant to receive the gift card that day — took the stand, Mr. Deinhart reconstructed the timeline of events in direct examination.
In December 2023, Ms. McElroy would typically arrive at school around 9:30 or 9:40, depending on the timing of the ferries, which she used to commute. On the day in question, Cassie Butts, a school office worker, told her there was an envelope — which contained the gift card — in her mailbox between 10:10 and 11:10. Ms. McElroy likely then checked her mail cubby during recess, between 11:40 and 12:10. When she arrived, "there was nothing in there." Ms. McElroy then informed Ms. Butts of that around 12:45.
Ms. Vega's cross-examination was brief: In the past, had the therapist received school mail in two places, a small cubby and a yellow bin in the mailroom? Ms. McElroy answered affirmatively.
Is it possible to see into the small cubby from the hallway? Again, the answer was "yes."
When Charles Fithian, a school custodian, took the stand for the final testimony of the day, Mr. Goodstadt asked how Mr. Fithian, who was present under subpoena, had come to testify. Mr. Scheuermann objected, arguing that the petitioner was badgering the witness.
"He's not badgering the witness, he's asking very direct questions," Mr. Taylor said.
The custodian testified that he was unaware who took the gift card.
Mr. Taylor scheduled an additional virtual hearing, which will likely last fewer than six hours, for Nov. 20 at 9:30 a.m.