Yeshivas turn to Ramapo for clearance, sidestep county inspections

By Steve Lieberman
Journal News
June 8, 2016

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2016/06/07/yeshivas-inspections-rockland/85554120/

Trailers at a yeshiva at 33 Forshay Road, which the town ordered closed for violations Photo by Matt Spillane

More than 20 yeshivas targeted by the New York state Education Department for overdue fire-safety inspections turned to Ramapo and Kaser officials this week to get their paperwork done, sidestepping attempts by the county to send its own team into the facilities for review.

Education Department spokeswoman Jeanne Beattie said in an email that 22 schools have filed inspection reports done by either private inspections or Ramapo inspectors. The filings mean the schools won't be required to be inspected by the county.

The Education Department had deputized Rockland to review between 49 and 53 schools, some of which had not filed fire safety certificates for several years.

Dennis Lynch, the lawyer for the recently-formed School Religious Freedom Coalition, said that come Wednesday, "There could be many yeshivas that Ed Day's representatives will not have to step foot into" since they have complied with the law.

An irritated Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the Education Department accepted the new reviews even though it had recently criticized Ramapo for its poor record on fire and building code inspections.

Day said he's been told Ramapo Chief Building Inspector Anthony Mallia and Kaser Building Inspector Bill Press, formerly the New Square inspector, were involved in the new school inspections.

Mallia said in an email he didn't sign off or personally take part, but acknowledged his staff did.

Thomas Buckley, a retired Ramapo fire inspector hired as town consultant, led the re-inspections ordered by the Education Department of 23 schools first done by an inspector, whose didn't report violations.

That left 26 schools needing to file fire safety reports with the Education Department. Schools are permitted to hire certified inspectors and didn't have to wait on the county.

"It's beyond comprehension that after identifying Ramapo's inability to properly perform inspections, suddenly their work is approved," Day said. "We didn't even get a courtesy call from the state telling us what's going on."

Day said the county has 12 schools left on the Education Department list to inspect. He wondered aloud how Ramapo moved so quickly after going years without adequate inspections.

"We seem able to do inspections in the matter of moments, all of a sudden," Day griped. .

Lynch, who also works as attorney for the Ramapo and Spring Valley governments, said he represents about three dozen Jewish private schools on the list.

He said all his clients in the coalition should have filed their inspection reports with the state by Wednesday morning, and that the inspections were done by certified fire chiefs as described under state educational law.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday,  county fire inspectors led by Rockland Emergency Services Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr., had inspected eight private schools. Wren said some yeshivas had been contacting his office about setting up appointments.

Day said he's hopeful the remaining schools will allow inspections and there are no violations. Some earlier inspections found schools with dozens of violations, but still safe to operate.

The state education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, and her department have said little since she authorized the Day administration to inspect the schools, even as both sides bickered for more than a week.