Niles Declines Brewster Board’s Offer to Replace Berardi
The Brewster Board of Education offered departing Trustee Glenn Niles the seat left open by the resignation of Krista Berardi but he has declined the offer.
Berardi submitted her resignation on June 12 amidst a backlash over social media posts she made endorsing the idea that George Floyd’s murder was staged and a separate racially-charged Facebook message where she said protestors should be “hosed.”
“With Mr. Niles’ permission I can share that the board offered him the seat left vacant by Ms. Berardi’s resignation and he respectfully declined,” Board of Education President Sonia Mesika said in a statement. “The board will be holding a work session soon to discuss what our next steps will be.”
Niles lost his board seat in the June 16 election. With three candidates running for two seats on the board, incumbent Kerry Cunningham was reelected but Niles lost with challenger Francine Santos securing the second-highest vote count. Niles, who was elected to his first three-year term in May of 2017, discussed racial issues in a statement of his own.
“As a community we have a lot of work ahead of us as it relates to diversity, racial inequalities and equity,” said Niles, who is black. “I feel it’s the biggest challenge that will prevent this community from moving forward; it must be addressed. How do we start having the uncomfortable conversations? How do we support our students of color? What changes can we address that will bring immediate impact? The divide in the community may be difficult to mend, but with desire, commitment, and courageous dialogue, it is possible.”
An online petition demanding Berardi be removed had been created by a Brewster High School student and was signed by thousands. Also, about 50 people, many of them students and other young people, gathered in protest on June 12 outside the Brewster school district building following Berardi’s comments and before Mesika and others publicly called for Berardi’s resignation.
“Just look at the amazing students who were and continue to be empowered to take a stand against racism; that is inspiring,” Niles also said in his statement. “I implore the board and district leadership to support staff, students, and families by providing the necessary resources and tools that will allow us to bring about much needed, long overdue change. I feel wholeheartedly that we need to do better going forward; we owe it to our children — all of our children.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
