Two staff members from the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District are suing the district and former Pasadena Elementary School Principal Karen Heitner, accusing her of inappropriately touching them and claiming that administrators allegedly downplayed her behavior while the district failed to protect them.
An occupational therapist and a speech therapist, who Schneps Media is not naming due to their being alleged sexual abuse victims, filed suit in federal court on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The suit named Heitner, the school district, the Board of Education, Superintendent Mary O’Meara and Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Safety Christopher Donarummo as defendants.
The district accused Heitner of inappropriately touching two female employees, pressuring four older female workers to retire and harassing other employees. The 3020-a proceedings hearings began in April as the district attempted to strip the principal of her tenure.
The district suspended Heitner last year as it began looking into her actions. Donarummo led an internal investigation into Heitner’s actions in 2024, which has been used as evidence during the 3020-a hearings.
District spokesman Ron Edelson said Plainview-Old Bethpage is aware of the filings by the staffers.
“The district takes every allegation of misconduct seriously,” he said. “However, on the advice of counsel, and consistent with district policy, the district will not comment on ongoing litigation.”
The two employees both testified against Heitner during the 3020-a proceedings.
The occupational therapist had served in the district for nearly 17 years. She had worked at Pasadena Elementary School until 2021, when she requested to be moved to a different school, only to be brought back to the school later.
The first alleged incident between her and the former principal involved in the investigation occurred in June 2024, when she alleged that Heitner grabbed her butt and said, “I goosed you,” which was followed by the principal kicking her.
The school district’s attorney, Christopher Mestecky, showed surveillance footage of the alleged incident that was put into evidence.
The staffer alleged in the complaint that rewatching the video was “forced re-exposure to traumatic events.”
The staffer said later that day she ran into Heitner in the hallway and the principal said, “There is the ass-graber.” The staffer said she replied, “I don’t put my hands on people, Karen.”
Another incident included Heitner allegedly telling the staffer, “Why don’t you stick your tongue in the hole and suck it out?” when she asked what was inside a pink and green donut.
The staffer also alleged that Heitner had made ageist comments against her earlier that year.
The employee said multiple times during the testimony that she didn’t think the district would do anything about Heitner’s actions, saying that “nobody survived being on the other side.”
The speech therapist, who has been with the district for over two decades, alleged that Heitner sexually harassed her and discriminated against her based on age.
The staffer said she was mourning the death of her husband when Heitner allegedly publicly accused her of “engaging in a sexual threesome” and making other sexual comments toward her.
The employee also alleged that Heiter had come to her office and asked if she was “going to retire.”
The two women had previously filed notices of claim, giving their intent to sue the district, with each seeking $10 million. The complaint does not specify how much money the two employees are seeking in damages.
