A hearing officer assigned by the New York State Education Department to determine whether disciplinary charges should be brought against the Amagansett School principal, who was placed on paid leave in January of last year after being accused of stealing a $25 gift card, has found her not guilty and ordered the district to reinstate her as principal and expunge the charges from her personnel record.
In a decision on Thursday, the officer, Timothy S. Taylor, said that in the seven hearings on the matter held between July 10 and Nov. 20, the district had failed to meet its burden of proof establishing Principal Maria Dorr's guilt, that one of its key witnesses "was not credible," and that the former interim superintendent, Richard Loeschner, had "failed to conduct a full and fair investigation."
In a special meeting on Friday afternoon, the Amagansett School Board voted to implement the hearing officer's decision and reinstate Ms. Dorr, allowing her to return to work. "I think she's looking forward to it," one of her attorneys, Arthur P. Scheuermann, said by phone on Friday before the board meeting. "I think she's quite excited to get back. . . . She has her job back and what she has to do is get that school back on track. It was a Blue Ribbon school. That takes a lot of work of a lot of people."
"I am deeply grateful that this process has come to an end, allowing me to refocus on what matters most — serving the students and community of Amagansett," Ms. Dorr said in a statement provided to the press on Friday. "This has been a challenging time for my family and me, but it has only strengthened my dedication to fostering a positive, collaborative, and student-centered environment."
She said that "the unwavering support and encouragement I have received throughout this journey have been truly humbling. I am inspired by the resilience and unity of this community, and I remain as passionate as ever about creating a school culture where respect, growth, and achievement flourish."
"As I return to my role, I do so with renewed commitment — to championing a culture of excellence, to supporting my colleagues, and most importantly, to ensuring that every student receives the quality education they deserve. Together, we will continue to build a strong foundation for success, both inside and beyond the classroom."
In charges brought against Ms. Dorr in February 2024, the district alleged that on Dec. 15, 2023, she entered the mail room and left with a red envelope containing an Amazon gift card meant for another employee, later covering up the evidence. She denied the charges, but was placed on paid administrative leave as the district sought to terminate her employment. The hearings were held at Ms. Dorr's request to determine whether the district had just cause to take disciplinary action against her.
"I did not believe this case should have been brought," said Mr. Scheuermann, the general counsel for the School Administrators Association of New York State, who represented her in the hearings along with Brian Dienhart. "I defended her beause I thought it was unjust to charge her."
At the meeting on Friday, Wayne Gauger, the board's president read from a statement: "While we disagree with the hearing officer's decision, the board accepts that decision and intends to take the steps to promptly restore Ms. Dorr, consistent with the requirements of education law. Our school community has experienced a great deal of emotional turbulence over this matter. The board of education believes that it is time to put this matter behind us and remain focused on the exceptional work that are educators do on behalf of the students and families."
While the hearing officer cleared Ms. Dorr of all charges on Thursday, he did not agree with her attorneys' assertion that the charges were frivolous and therefore denied her request to reimburse her for attorney fees or for expenses "incurred for investigation services and process servers."
With Reporting by Christine Sampson