The final of four interviews with Massapequa's candidates running in Massapequa's school board election on Tuesday May 19th. Dr. Lynn Russo, PhD ESQ is a practicing lawyer with a PHD in Molecular Biology. Russo may be the most educated candidate and discusses her campaign. - Russo addresses a rather offensive campaign flyer that has been distributed featuring disturbing images and accusations about her and fellow candidate Bobby Bonett. - She discusses why she believes "Save The Chief" lawsuits to save Massapequa's Chief mascot will not work. - Why she believes Massapequa should have Universal Pre K. - Massapequa's Transgender bathroom and locker room policy.

Comedian and podcast host Tom Kelly continues his Massapequa School Board interview series with current board member and candidate Cheryl Lepre. - Recorded at Paradise Studios in Massapequa, Long Island, this long-form conversation covers: - The "Save the Chief" lawsuit Taxpayer money and school budgets COVID and mask policy fallout Anonymous Facebook politics Transgender locker room controversy Universal Pre-K Education, AI & vocational training Why Massapequa has become a national political flashpoint And whether local politics has become too mean This episode focuses heavily on tone, community identity, and what Cheryl Lepre believes keeps Massapequa schools successful. - ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 1:19 – "Anyone who runs for school board is either crazy or a career politician" 1:41 – Cheryl explains her 7 years on the school board 1:58 – Why she continues to run for reelection 2:15 – PTA volunteer work & helping Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts 2:43 – Tom asks if national politics have taken over local school boards 🪶 SAVE THE CHIEF & THE LAWSUIT 3:18 – Tom introduces the "Save the Chief" issue 3:39 – Why the school board is fighting to keep the Massapequa Chiefs mascot 3:48 – Cheryl discusses taxpayer money and fiscal responsibility 4:37 – Why she believes the lawsuit is financially worth pursuing 6:14 – Cheryl discusses conversations with the Shinnecock Nation 6:46 – NAGA (Native American Guardians Association) visits Massapequa 7:07 – "They prefer to be called American Indians" 7:54 – "Educate, not eradicate" 9:45 – Comparisons to Vikings, Crusaders & Spartans 10:17 – Lawsuit costs discussed: "0.08% of the budget" 😷 COVID, MASKS & POLITICAL DIVISION 12:11 – Tom compliments Cheryl's tone and communication style 13:01 – Cheryl compares this election cycle to previous campaigns 13:27 – Massive voter turnout during COVID-era elections 14:16 – Anonymous Facebook groups & online negativity 15:10 – Cheryl discusses avoiding toxic online comments for mental health 15:29 – Tom brings up Bobby Bonett's leaked COVID email controversy 16:19 – Cheryl clarifies the school board did not leak the email 16:55 – Cheryl explains FOIL requests and redactions 🚻 TRANS POLICIES & LOCKER ROOM LAWSUIT 19:32 – Massapequa lawsuits involving masks, mascots & bathrooms 20:01 – Cheryl says the district did NOT initiate the transgender lawsuit 20:23 – Tom summarizes the locker room controversy 20:32 – Cheryl explains the district policy 20:51 – Tom asks about rescinding the policy 21:03 – Cheryl says lawyers advised caution discussing the active lawsuit 21:18 – "We've made every accommodation for all students" 21:34 – Gender-neutral locker rooms and bathrooms explained 21:49 – Tom argues lawsuits distract from educational issues 22:01 – Cheryl describes school board presentations being overshadowed by controversy 22:29 – Career fairs, arts, athletics & student accomplishments discussed 22:43 – Why Cheryl believes opponents focus on lawsuits 🗳️ THE ELECTION & LOCAL POLITICS 22:57 – Tom asks about Bobby Bonett personally 23:12 – Cheryl calls Bobby "well spoken" 23:17 – Tom jokingly asks if Bobby is funded by George Soros 23:43 – Discussion of political ambitions in local elections 23:51 – Would Cheryl ever run for higher office? 🏫 EDUCATION, PRE-K & THE FUTURE 24:14 – Tom pivots the conversation toward education 24:19 – Cheryl reveals she now works in education administration 24:52 – Cheryl explains her work with special education placements 25:10 – Universal Pre-K debate begins 25:32 – "We're not against UPK — the question is sustainability" 27:01 – How the state funds UPK students 27:27 – State funding increases may change future plans 27:47 – Faith-based preschool concerns discussed 28:17 – Cheryl says the district is open to revisiting UPK 🎓 EDUCATION, AI & CAREERS 33:06 – Cheryl describes long board meetings and behind-the-scenes work ⚽ SPORTS, COMMON CORE & TESTING 33:36 – Questions from the "Massapequa Matters" Facebook groups 33:41 – Sports participation policy discussion 34:00 – Common Core and state testing debate begins 34:35 – Teacher evaluations and testing pressure discussed 35:01 – Why Cheryl believes some form of testing is necessary 35:21 – New York's changing Regents requirements 🏡 MASSAPEQUA IDENTITY & REAL ESTATE 35:35 – "People move here because they love Massapequa" 35:55 – Tom asks if the town is changing culturally 36:16 – Real estate prices exploding across Long Island 36:40 – Houses selling for tens of thousands over asking price 37:06 – Cheryl argues people move to Massapequa because of its traditions and schools 37:27 – "There's a reason people chose to move here"

Current Massapequa school board member and candidate Danielle Ocuto joins Tom at Paradise Studios in Massapequa for a wide-ranging discussion about: The "Save the Chief" mascot controversy Lawsuits and taxpayer money COVID-era mask debates Parent rights in schools Transgender bathroom and locker room policies Public comment at school board meetings Universal Pre-K And why local school board politics have become national news ⚠️ This episode is presented as a conversation and not an endorsement of any candidate or position. -------- Want To Record A Podcast Or Learn To Podcast? Recorded at Paradise Studios Massapequa - New York https://www.paradisestudiosny.com ----- ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 1:00 – "National politics are Massapequa politics now" 1:20 – Is the election closer than it appears online? 1:37 – "You have to be insane to run for school board" 2:16 – Danielle Ocuto explains why she first decided to run 2:31 – Volunteer work, Girl Scouts & PTA involvement 3:14 – Growing up in Massapequa 🪶 SAVE THE CHIEF CONTROVERSY 3:44 – Tom asks about "Save the Chief" 3:59 – Danielle explains the mascot debate 4:22 – Kathy Hochul's mandate explained 4:30 – Why Massapequa became the district leading the lawsuit 5:10 – Fighting Irish vs Vikings vs Chiefs 5:36 – The financial side of replacing the mascot 7:08 – Tom shares his thoughts on the mascot debate 7:53 – Discussion about Native American outreach 💰 LAWSUITS & TAXPAYER MONEY 9:48 – "How much are we willing to spend?" 10:07 – Danielle pushes back on the $600K figure 10:49 – COVID-related lawsuits included in the total 11:15 – Breaking down the district budget 11:51 – Is there a cap on "Saving the Chief" legal spending? 😷 COVID, MASKS & SCHOOL BOARD POLITICS 12:07 – Cuomo, masks & hindsight 12:33 – "Maybe Massapequa wasn't so outlandish" 13:13 – Tom talks about how COVID changed his career 13:48 – Should school boards take political positions? 14:14 – Danielle discusses student safety and emotional wellbeing 14:41 – "Our kids were exploited during COVID" 15:17 – Why Danielle admired the school board during that time 15:35 – How COVID influenced her decision to run 📧 THE BOBBY BONETT EMAIL CONTROVERSY 15:51 – Tom reads Bobby Bonett's old COVID email on-air 16:52 – "Lowest common denominator of intelligence" becomes a meme 17:06 – Should school boards fight state policy? 17:50 – What about parents who disagreed? 🚻 TRANS POLICIES & BATHROOMS 18:35 – Parent rights discussion begins 19:06 – Schools not informing parents about gender identity changes 19:43 – Danielle explains state guidance on gender identity 20:22 – "Keeping parents out is not fair" 20:45 – Tom asks about the bathroom lawsuit 21:03 – "We don't want to hurt any students" 21:27 – Biological sex vs gender identity policy explained 22:20 – Who sued who? 23:02 – Federal vs state guidance conflict 23:35 – Gender-neutral spaces & accommodations 24:14 – Tom asks about Bobby Bonett's "changing booths" idea 24:29 – Danielle responds to the proposal 🎤 SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS & LOCAL CHAOS 25:10 – Facebook groups & public outrage 25:45 – "You should come to a board meeting" 26:20 – Danielle discusses "agitators" disrupting meetings 26:42 – Why meetings were moved into an auditorium 27:07 – When protests escalated 27:46 – Public comment changes at special meetings 28:52 – How other Long Island districts handle comments 🏫 EDUCATION ISSUES 29:44 – Why Massapequa does not currently offer Universal Pre-K 30:33 – Danielle discusses choosing preschool during COVID 31:16 – What Danielle loves about Massapequa 31:40 – Why the community rallies together ⚽ SPORTS & TRANS ATHLETES 33:40 – Discussion about sports participation policies 34:07 – Danielle: "I think it's not safe" 34:43 – Supports for transgender students 35:37 – "We're focused on student strengths, not labels" 36:23 – "What you bring to the world matters" 🎤 FINAL THOUGHTS 36:45 – Tom almost pivots into campaign finance questions 37:03 – Danielle discusses campaign donations 37:17 – Final message to voters 38:16 – Celebrating students beyond college paths 38:33 – Danielle's closing statement 38:52 – Tom closes the show