Superintendent knew nothing of teacher's 'inappropriate conduct'

The superintendent of the Island Trees School District said yesterday he was unaware of an April 2000 memo chastising a middle school teacher for "inappropriate conduct" with children until last month, when the teacher was arrested on child pornography charges.

Superintendent James Parla said the document, addressed to veteran science teacher Richard Hartig, was not in Hartig's personnel file but in a file kept by the middle school principal at the time, Jon Segerdahl. Neither Segerdahl nor Peter Gibbons, the former assistant principal who co-wrote the memo, could be reached for comment.

The document has not been made public; its contents were referred to at Hartig's arraignment Tuesday on six counts of distributing child pornography online.

Hartig, 43, of Lindenhurst, pleaded not guilty and was held without bail.

During the arraignment, assistant U.S. Attorney Allan Bode, referencing the memo, said the principals characterized Hartig's conduct as "out of control." Hartig has been in jail since his arrest. Parla said yesterday the district considers him "absent without authorization" and he would recommend suspension if he is released before the case reaches a conclusion.

Parla said the memo does not refer to allegations of sexual misconduct involving students or staff. And since he became superintendent in 2004, he said, there have been no such allegations against Hartig "or any evidence of any inappropriate behavior that would warrant our limiting his participation in authorized extracurricular activities."

Yesterday, parents of current and former students at the Levittown school expressed shock.

They questioned why the popular teacher was allowed to continue accompanying sixth-graders on a five-day trip to an environmental center each year.

"It kind of makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up," said Christine Blotta, whose son took the trip last year. "My son said he was the nicest teacher he ever had. I was going to request him for my child who's going into sixth grade next year."

Hartig's attorney, Anthony J. Colleluori of Woodbury, has said his client is one of most popular teachers at the Island Trees Memorial Middle School. He said since Hartig's arrest, 20 to 30 current and former students have offered to write letters on Hartig's behalf.