School board: Attorneys hired to probe allegations against Riverhead employees
The Riverhead school board appointed a pair of attorneys at its Tuesday meeting to investigate allegations against two district employees.
Credit: Randee Daddona
The Riverhead school board Tuesday appointed separate attorneys to investigate unspecified allegations against two district employees.
The attorneys appointed are Glen Cove-based Joady Benjamin Feiner and Manhasset-based Elena Cacavas, at an hourly rate of $220 and $300 respectively.
Feiner is an education and employment law attorney. His retainer was dated Sept. 26. Both will investigate allegations against separate district employees, according to school officials. Cacavas' specialties include employment and education issues. Her retainer was dated Oct. 9.
The board approved the two-item resolution in a 7-0 vote at a meeting Tuesday night.
It has not revealed the nature of the allegations or the employees involved.
The move came less than a week after the board approved an abrupt leave of absence for Superintendent Augustine Tornatore.
Tornatore requested the leave of absence, school officials said in a letter distributed last Thursday to the community.
The board last week also reassigned Assistant Superintendent Lori Koerner, pending an investigation. A spokeswoman for the Riverhead Central School District said at the time the district could not discuss why Koerner was reassigned, saying it was a personnel issue. She has been working from home, according to district officials.
Tornatore's leave of absence continues through Oct. 23.
William Galati, the district’s executive director of secondary education, grants and student outcomes, was named interim superintendent while Tornatore is on leave. Galati assumed his new role Friday.
Dandan Zou covers education for Newsday. Previously, she worked for a community newspaper in Maryland and a personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C.
