Chappaqua School Trustee’s Blog, Photos Rankle Residents

During a school year filled with controversy and frayed tensions between the public and Chappaqua School District officials, a board of education member’s blog has triggered a new round of angst for some in the community.

Trustee Jeffrey Mester said he created “View From The Board Table” in December, a blog documenting board meetings, to provide the public with transparency. It also offers thoughts, commentary and photographs that features fellow trustees, guest speakers, students and the audience.

“Civil communication is fostered by understanding the point of view of the person or persons with whom you are communicating,” said Mester, a 10-year board member. “Here is my point of view. Here is my view from where I sit. Here is what I look at when people come to the meetings.”

However, some community residents, many of whom had harshly criticized the district’s handling of the controversy surrounding former drama teacher Christopher Schraufnagel, regularly filled the meeting room earlier this school year.

In recent months, though, attendance at board meetings has steadily dwindled. Some parents said they no longer attend meetings due to Mester’s conduct, asserting they find his behavior unnerving, improper, arrogant and an inappropriate attempt to manipulate and intimidate the public.

“(It’s) voyeuristic and reckless behavior that he just can’t seem to be able to stop. This has become a dangerous psychological obsession which has already hurt people and shows no signs of letting up,” said Sanford Benardo, who is running for school board next month.

He said Mester’s photo taking during meetings is inappropriate in his official capacity.

Barbara Buxbaum, leader of the local group Families Advocating for Children and Transparency at School (FACTS), said residents felt they were being judged for their comments, recorded inappropriately or surveilled.

Mester also keeps a public Instagram account where he will occasionally post photos from board meetings.

Mester said he was surprised when told that community members took issue with his blog. He said it’s difficult for him to reconcile when someone says they don’t want to be photographed at a public meeting when it is already being videotaped and posted online.

“No side comments are made on those videos,” said a parent who wished to remain anonymous. “The capturing of audience members, his comments and suppositions – like someone getting advice – seems inappropriate.”

Unless a community member steps forward to the podium or there is a guest speaker during a board meeting, only administrators and trustees are heard speaking on the meeting tapes.

Parent Sandy Sjogren said she is concerned that Mester fails to see that taking photographs of the community is improper while sitting with the board.

“I don’t see how taking these photos helps the community or moves the board along in any way; I almost feel it is voyeurism,” Sjogren said. “These meetings are videotaped for the community at large. That is enough.”

Mester began taking photos following several heated board meetings last fall. He said his instincts to report and document the proceedings took over.

After receiving a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request in November from Chappaqua resident Robin Murphy, who requested pictures or videos taken during meetings by trustees, Mester felt there was public interest in his photos. He created his blog on Dec. 20.

“It was at that moment it occurred to me that at least one person was interested in what was a board member’s point of view, so I posted them and felt that with a lot of members of the community not appreciating our legal limitations on what we could say publicly about the situation and saying we were not being transparent, I decided that I would add basic commentary,” Mester said.

But Murphy explained that she sent the FOIL request because the behavior of a trustee taking photos of audience members seemed out of line and likely meant to intimidate.

“It wasn’t the view from the board table I was looking for but rather his motivation,” Murphy said.

Mester said he was surprised that people would take issue with his blogging, saying “it is self-evident that adding my own commentary is the very definition of adding transparency.”

But other community members said Mester has confused the issues.

“Blogging is opinion, transparency is getting facts,” Sjogren said.

“What Mester fails to understand is that the community wants answers, not pictures of what happens at a board meeting,” said another parent who spoke on condition of anonymity. “His blog is petty and vindictive, and shows him to be unconcerned about and deaf to the community, and more concerned with hearing himself talk, showing his pictures and inflating his sense of self-worth.”

“As to transparency, his blog is anything but,” the parent added. “Mester picks and chooses his pictures, often shows people in a distinctly unflattering way and makes snarky remarks about the audience.”

Parent Will Wedge said he believes the blog reflects a subconscious desire to prove to the community that Mester the board member is always watching. He added the blog is a deterrent to anyone who may want to comment during meetings.

“This is a great symbol of his disrespect of the community that has elected him,” Wedge said.

While Mester said the feedback he’s received from constituents, friends and neighbors has been limited but almost universally positive, he is considering whether to discontinue the blog or alter its format.

“I get that there can be a difference between what is legal and what is appropriate,” Mester said. “Quite frankly, I think it would set a dangerous precedent to squelch speech because it may make someone uncomfortable, to squelch transparency by an elected official.”