Rockland County Legislator Aron B. Wieder yesterday brought in two prominent Orthodox Jewish leaders to criticize a state-appointed monitor and his team for recommending an overseer with veto power over decisions made by the East Ramapo school district. Wieder (D-Spring Valley), Rabbi Yosef C. Golding, the CEO of Agudath Israel of America, and state Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) criticized the recommendation and said it undermined both the authority of a duly-elected school board and the integrity of the democratic process.

On Tuesday Wieder, who is a past president of the East Ramapo Board of Education, had criticized the monitors' report for recommendations about streamlining the transportation program developed since the Ultra-Orthodox community took control of the board, which might mean an end to gender-separate busing to yeshivas for the district's 24,000 private school students.

SEE: Weider Says East Ramapo Monitors Are Attacking Monsey's Children Wieder, Golding and Hikind also alleged the report submitted to the state Board of Regents Monday, which includes 19 total recommendations, has added fuel to a fire of hate burning ever hotter in Rockland. Wieder, a Democrat, resigned his position as the Legislature's Majority Leader, saying it was in response to the toxic climate that has been created. He will continue to represent his Spring Valley district. "The reason I took the drastic step to resign was because some have turned my position as Majority Leader, as strong advocate to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of the Orthodox Jewish community here in Rockland County, into a distraction away from the work of the County Legislature and Democratic Caucus," Wieder said. "Therefore I have stepped aside and put those concerns ahead of my own." Wieder said the rhetoric, hate and animosity toward Orthodox Jews has been terrible and extends beyond the troubling issues plaguing East Ramapo. "We have been accused of being looters, tax dodgers, leeches, a drain of the general society and even cancerous," Wieder said. Hikind said he had told people to trust the monitors sent in by the state Education Commissioner and that things appeared to be improving since Dennis Wolcott and his team began reviewing the district's operations – a new superintendent was hired and other changes were being put in place. "People were sitting and having conversations and unfortunately, and it pains me to say this, Dennis Wolcott stabbed this community in the back," the Brooklyn lawmaker said. "Dennis Wolcott stabbed the entire community because not only are we back to where we were, it is worse than where we were before."