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MPK Village hosts holiday open house Page 2 Vol.74 74 NO. No.5051 VOL.
Chamber honors local veterans
O’Bay holds annual toy drive Page 8
Page 3 DECEMBER DECEMBER17 17- -23, 23, 2025 2025
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Massapequa Chamber hosts annual holiday event By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Mike Polansky/Herald
Elected officials and Chamber Board members were out in force for the event
Hundreds of residents gathered in Klestinec Park in Massapequa on Saturday evening, Dec. 6, as the Chamber of Commerce kicked off the holiday season with its annual Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremony. The festivities opened with lively performances by several local dance groups, including A Step Above Performing Arts, CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Massapequa school board president joins lawsuit over free speech der students — particularly those concerning school athletics and access to facilities. Massapequa Board of EducaJoining Wachter in the lawtion President Kerry Wachter is suit are a school board member among four plaintiffs in a federal from upstate New York and two lawsuit challenging what they alparents with children in the lege is a violation of their constiRockville Centre School District. tutional rights by the New York They are being represented by State Commissioner of Educathe Southeastern Legal Foundation. tion, a Georgia-based conservaThe complaint, filed Dec. 9 in tive public interest law firm that U.S. District Court for the Northis fully funding the litigation. ern District of New York, accuses According to the foundation’s Attorney General Letitia James president, Kimberly S. Hermann, and Commissioner of Education the group has been “going to Betty A. Rosa of unconstitutioncourt for over 50 years when govally stifling public discussion of ernment violates American constate policies involving transgen2025-26 HIGH SCHOOL stitutional SPORT S P R Erights.” VIEW
By MIKE POLANSKY
Senior Correspondent
December 18, 2025
The lawsuit takes aim at a May 8 guidance letter issued by James and Rosa, which warned school boards that public discussion of transgender issues could violate the state’s Dignity for All Students Act and other laws. The complaint argues that the letter amounted to unconstitutional “viewpoint discrimination,” allowing only supportive comments of state transgender policies while prohibiting — and potentially penalizing — dissenting views. According to the filing, school board members could face removal from office not only for expressing views contrary to state policy,
but even for allowing others to do so at public meetings — including comments about biological sexbased pronouns, sports participation, or gender identity. The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the May letter is unconstitutional and asks the court to block state officials from enforcing it. “The State is simply trying to shut down discussion,” Wachter said. “They want to say that this is the law, that’s how we interpret it, and that’s it. I think that prohibiting discussion like this is antithetical to our Constitutional rights that we enjoy as citizens of this country. In a free and demo-
cratic society, we should be able to have an exchange of ideas, but the Attorney General’s letter is stopping that debate. That’s what’s egregious and that’s why we had to file this lawsuit.” Wachter added that the letter has been widely interpreted as a warning to align with the state or risk losing a board seat. “Parents and board members should be free to raise concerns about locker room access, student safety and athletic competition without fear of retaliation,” she said. Hermann echoed those concerns. “This is one of the most egreCONTINUED ON PAGE 5