It's up to NYS, Suffolk to step up for Wyandanch

Amid two decades of turnover, instability and controversy that include allegations of financial misconduct, mismanagement and nepotism, nothing has changed in the governance of the Wyandanch Public Library.

A generation of children haven't had access even to a functional library. Residents have been deprived of a thriving, enriching community center.  None of the multiple levels of government in New York State with the authority to stop this downward spiral has taken any action.  

Much of this history was known.  Even a scathing 2014 audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, which found deeply concerning fiscal and management problems at the library, had no significant impact.

The story of Wyandanch is the story of what happens when a vulnerable community is ignored after local governance fails. Even efforts to renew this neighborhood with ambitious housing development known as Wyandanch Rising bolstered with federal, state and county dollars, and improved transit wasn't enough to give residents the successful schools and flourishing community spaces they need.

LEADERS FAILED THE COMMUNITY

This is a story of how local leaders put their personal interests before the children and families they should be serving.
The library doesn't stand alone. Wyandanch's school district has had its share of troubles, too. The district now has a state fiscal monitor, which has helped. But Wyandanch remains a "targeted district," according to state rankings that show its high school as historically low-performing, even as its middle school recently achieved a status of good standing.

But the library lacks the attention, oversight or support provided to the schools. It hasn't been able to keep a director for more than a year or two in decades. (Its most recent one lasted two months.) And despite boasting a $2.1 million budget, which includes a 3.8% district tax increase, the library still doesn't offer the technology, resources, trained staff and programming the community wants — and pays for. The opacity of those budgets, and the apparent lack of controls and clarity on spending, is alarming.

The library hasn't provided line-item budgets, so details are scarce. However, statistics provided to the editorial board show that the average Suffolk County library spends 70% of its funds on staffing; Wyandanch spends 44%. The average Suffolk library spends 8% on books, video, and other educational and informational items; Wyandanch spends 1%. 

And on average, a Suffolk library spends 19% of its funds on operations, whereas Wyandanch spends 55% on that category. That money goes to landscaping, outside vendors, food and other items, those familiar with the budget tell the editorial board. That's a stark contrast in spending in areas that are open to abuse. 

Pauline Barfield, who handles the library's public relations, told the editorial board she passed on our inquiries to acting director Fred Lopez. No one responded further. 

There's even more worrisome activity.

Newsday reported this month that a confidential memo shows Wyandanch library trustees knew for 17 months — since September 2021, that their head custodian, Kwaisi McCorvey, had been accused of having sex with a minor at the library. They did nothing. McCorvey was arrested in February, accused of allegedly raping the woman in October 2016, when she was 16 years old.

McCorvey was suspended after his arrest but he is still being paid his base salary of $65,494.

Among the trustees on the memo: Nancy Holliday, McCorvey's aunt, who at the time called the allegations "false in their entirety."

AUDIT: TIMESHEETS ALTERED

The context is important. DiNapoli's 2014 audit found Holliday previously had altered McCorvey's timesheets, giving him nearly $20,000 in questionable pay.

Holliday is no longer on the library board; she's now on the Wyandanch school board, a worrisome sign. And the library's profound problems, and the absence of accountability and oversight, remain.

Earlier this year, a ray of hope emerged, when new trustees and a new director promised change. The board disclosed additional irregularities they uncovered including trustees' credit cards to hundreds of dollars in monthly payments for unnecessary storage units.

But by July, both new director Jessica Oelcher and new board president Jordan Thomas,  who were responsible for that moment of transparency, resigned.
Now it's up to state and county officials to stand up for the people of Wyandanch. That starts with the State Education Department and its Board of Regents, which oversee libraries and have the power to remove trustees and overhaul the corrupted system. 

State law allows Commissioner Betty A. Rosa to intervene, including removing trustees or other officers for "willful misconduct or neglect of duty," according to a department spokeswoman. State officials even could remove the library's state licensing under certain circumstances. There's precedent: The Regents last year sought to remove Mount Vernon Public Library's trustees, and, in 1997, replaced 18 of Adelphi University's 19 trustees citing "a complete breakdown of the principles of governance."

Attorney General Tish James and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli could play a role, too, by taking deeper dives into the allegations of misconduct and malfeasance. Ultimately, if there's criminal activity, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney must take action. 

State Sen. Monica Martinez and Assemb. Kimberly Jean-Pierre said they'd support such investigations. Their advocacy will be important.

Only when its families get the leadership and advocacy they deserve, can Wyandanch truly rise.