Dugan to Step Aside from School Board Presidency After Pressure from the Community

After a tumultuous week in Scarsdale, School Board President Jim Dugan announced today that he is stepping down as President of the Board of Education – but will continue to serve out his term as a Board of Education member until the end of his term in June, 2027.

What led to his resignation? Last week there was an antisemitic incident at Scarsdale High School, where posters promoting an event sponsored by the Israeli Culture Club were put in urinals. The Board President’s daughter, who does not attend the high school, amplified the incident with a post on Instagram.

Dugan’s statement, along with those from the Board of Education, School Principal and Superintendent were not sufficient to diffuse anger from the community and a petition demanding his resignation circulated and was signed by over 1,000 people. A dueling petition was signed by supporters but Dugan decided to step down as President, saying, “The events of the last several days have made clear that my continuing in the role would be too much of a distraction from the critical work of the Board.”

A few minutes later, the community received a second email from the Board, announcing that Board Vice President Colleen Brown will assume the presidency until the Board elects a replacement for Dugan.

The conflict here in Scarsdale has been covered by television stations and newspapers and many hope that calm will now be restored.

See both of their emails below:

Dear Scarsdale Community,

After reflection and prayer, I have decided to step aside from the role of President of the Scarsdale Board of Education for the remainder of my term. The events of the last several days have made clear that my continuing in the role would be too much of a distraction from the critical work of the Board. I am sorry for the pain that this community is suffering. I empathize with that pain, and I hope that we can find some peace and unity as we work together to address and remediate incidents of antisemitism and intolerance in our schools. As our community continues to heal, I am dedicated to continuing my work as a board member alongside my colleagues as we collaborate with our school administrators to develop programs that can bring us together as a united Scarsdale.

Very truly yours,
James C. Dugan

From the Board of Education

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Earlier this evening, Board President Jim Dugan announced that he will be stepping aside from that role for the remainder of this school year. He will continue to serve as a member of our Board, until the end of his term, and remain an important voice in our deliberations and the decisions we make as we work through the serious issues facing our district, and the work still to be done for our upcoming budget and bond referendum votes on May 19. Effective immediately, Colleen Brown, our Vice President, will assume the responsibilities and leadership of the presidency until the board can elect a new president at an upcoming board meeting, consistent with Board policy.

This was an extremely difficult and personal decision for Jim; one we know he did not want to make. For nearly 20 years, Jim and his family have been a part of the Scarsdale community. He has contributed tirelessly of himself in service to others through community organizations and, over the past five years, our school district. His dedication to our students and commitment to this community have been unwavering and heartfelt. He has been a driving force for many of the innovative and precedent-setting initiatives our District has implemented that continue to earn Scarsdale Schools a reputation as one of the finest public-school districts in the country.

As Jim shared in his letter to the community, the circumstances that unfolded over the past week at our high school and involving a member of his family led him to this difficult decision. Putting the community first, Jim did not want to be a distraction that might intrude on the Board's work ahead, including responding to the recent antisemitic incidents with the seriousness they demand. We thank Jim for his leadership over this past year and know he will continue to be a strong advocate for our community throughout the rest of his term as a trustee.

As we noted in our letter to the community last Saturday, this Board condemns, in absolute terms, all forms of antisemitism, hate, and discrimination. The students responsible will be dealt with to the fullest extent possible as determined by our Student Code of Conduct. At no time should any student in Scarsdale Schools feel unsafe, disrespected or be a target because of their religion, background, race, or who they are or what they believe in.

We are committed to creating and sustaining learning environments in our schools that reflect respect, inclusivity, civil discourse, and an acknowledgment of our differences. What occurred last Friday made clear that, regardless of the various programs and processes we have, we still need to do more. To that end, this week several members of our Board attended a workshop at Purchase College entitled, “Identifying and Addressing Antisemitism in our Schools,” co-sponsored by Westchester Jewish Council. In addition, we will be reaching out to community partners to seek input, guidance, and what our next steps should be to raise awareness of the serious harm caused by all acts of hate.

We know there is anger, frustration, and pain in our community. We feel it also. We also know we must continue to engage, listen and lead with purpose, to ensure our schools are places that support our students’ well-being and ability to achieve their full potential. We can only accomplish this when we all work together in service of our children. Together, with understanding, we will build trust, unity, and come through this difficult time stronger and more united.

Colleen Brown, Vice President
Leah Dembitzer
James Dugan
Suzie Hahn
Robert Klein
Laura Liu
Amber Yusuf