About eight parents patrolled the grounds of Grandview Elementary for two hours, informing dozens of walkers who were taking a shortcut through the property that they were trespassing and asking them to find another route. A district security officer joined them “We’re concerned that we don’t know who’s walking through … it’s a security issue,” said district critic Peggy Hatton, shielded under an umbrella as rain pelted the grounds around noon. Most of the men and a few women cutting across the school’s expansive back lawn were Orthodox or Hasidic Jews observing the festival of Sukkot, a time when they typically do not drive. Most quietly ignored the parents’ requests and continued walking. “Enforce it equally,” one man called out as he headed toward the Wesley Hills neighborhood behind the school. Another man approached parent Keith Meyers and called him an anti-Semite, which led to an exchange of angry words. “This is what my taxes are paying for,” another man grumbled, as parent and district critic Tony Luciano trained his video camera on the scene. One woman refused to leave the grounds and got into a shouting match with parents. Police were notified but no arrests were made, Ramapo Sgt. Tom Dolan said. The push to keep strangers off school grounds during school hours — in a district whose large Orthodox and Hasidic population walks many places — is nothing new. At least 200 parents have cited concerns about trespassing and alleged other misdeeds in a class-action lawsuit filed against school board members and district officials this summer. Sexual predators are another concern, parents said. Nearly 20 registered sex offenders live within two miles of East Ramapo’s public schools, records show. “At the end of the day, it’s about the safety of our children,” said Cassandra Edwards, a mother of two middle school students who attended Grandview.
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