Sherley Cadet was sworn in as a Westbury School District board of education trustee on Thursday, July 7, after weeks of back-and-forth debate and review about who would take the third seat.
“It feels great,” said Cadet, who will be formally sworn-in and seated at the next board of education meeting on Thursday, July 14. “The hard work paid off and what’s right is being done.”
Cadet was declared the winner after a review of affidavit ballots at a June 1 special meeting of the board of education, ousting Rodney Caines who was the winner as of election night on Tuesday, May 17, by two votes. At the June 1 meeting, the board voted to file a petition with the state asking for a recount; however, the submitted petition also asked that the commissioner grant incumbent Caines a “hold-over” to remain on the board until the recount results were finalized and a “stay” to keep the board from swearing-in Cadet. It was a move seen as underhanded by many in the community, who were under the impression that Cadet would be sworn-in at the reorganization meeting with the other newly elected trustees.
At the reorganization meeting on Tuesday, July 5, newly sworn-in trustee and board vice president Stanton Brown (who ran with Cadet) asked for a motion to withdraw the petition in its entirety, saying that was the best way to “create fairness in the district, to make sure we don’t disenfranchise our voters.” The motion was passed with approval by new trustee Pedro Quintanilla (who also ran with Cadet and Brown), as well as John Simpkins and Karin Campbell. Newly sworn-in president Robin Bolling, Caines and trustee Pless Dickerson voted not to withdraw the petition, with Dickerson saying that to do so would lead to ambiguity.
And while the board approved to withdraw the petition, they did not allow Cadet to take her seat that evening, with Bolling saying the swearing-in had to be approved by the commissioner first. Members of the audience turned angry, calling out that the board was being discriminatory and that they wanted Cadet sworn in immediately. The request to withdraw the petition was submitted the next day and approved by the commissioner of education July 7.
Mateo Flores, president of the Westbury Hispanic United Association, has been a visible presence at recent board of education meetings, rallying the Hispanic community to be actively involved during the election process. He said with the board being more diversified, they will be better able to meet the needs of the community.
“This will give the board a different flavor when it comes to ideas and how to help our community,” Flores said. “Not only because they understand the culture, but they will be able to form a team that will make a difference in the education of our children. The future will be brighter because we have a diverse board.”
