When he was arrested in February 2006, accused of making harassing phone calls to several women, former Hampton Bays High School principal Frank Vetro did not know that everything that he had worked for in his life was about to be taken away from him.
During a phone interview on Tuesday, Mr. Vetro said the past two and a half years have been hard for him, both financially and emotionally. He has lost a job that he loved, his reputation has been tarnished, and he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in unearned wages and attorney fees. He says he has trouble sleeping and maintains that he and his family have suffered a stressful and emotionally painful ordeal.
Mr. Vetro said the accusations filed against him have been completely blown out of proportion, and what he claims should have been a personal matter has been made public. “I can’t believe it has come to this,” he said.
The former principal, who maintains his innocence, was originally charged with seven counts of aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor, for making sexually explicit calls to several women. In June 2006, he was arrested a second time for violating an order of protection secured by one of the women—Mr. Vetro says it was an ex-girlfriend—that he is accused of harassing.
In March, he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated harassment, both misdemeanors. The remaining six charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea. According to Mr. Vetro, the two charges that he pleaded guilty to have since been reduced to violations.
A spokesperson from Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office, who has handled Mr. Vetro’s case, said on Wednesday that the former principal was placed on probation earlier this year after pleading guilty to the two misdemeanor charges of aggravated harassment. If he stays out of trouble until his sentencing on March 26, 2009, Mr. Vetro can plead guilty to reduced charges of harassment, a violation, according to the DA’s office. As part of the deal, Mr. Vetro must also obey all “stay away” orders secured by the victims.
Now poised to fight back, Mr. Vetro this week filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights, alleging that he was forced to resign following his second arrest. He claims that the district violated his civil rights when he was forced to step down.
Mr. Vetro is seeking reinstatement to his former position, reimbursement for lost wages, a written apology from the district, and an undisclosed amount of monetary compensation for emotional pain and attorney fees.
In the interview, Mr. Vetro explained that he had no intention of stepping down from his former position and did so only because he was promised he could have his job back after his legal battle was over. “I loved it,” he said of the position he held for less than a year. “Everybody in that town knew I was there 14 or 15 hours a day.”
Though he has sought employment elsewhere, he has so far been unsuccessful. Prospective employers curious as to why a high school principal would leave his post for two years and collect unemployment are reluctant to hire him after they learn about his legal troubles. Additionally, the New York State Education Department has a hold on his license.
“It has been impossible to find employment anywhere, not just in education,” Mr. Vetro said. “I’m not proud to say this, but I’ve been forced to leave my home.”
Despite the setbacks he has faced, including renting his former home in Shirley, Mr. Vetro said the support of many Hampton Bays residents has been overwhelming. “The town has been tremendous,” he said. “I have a binder filled with cards and e-mails.”
Mr. Vetro also said he has taken some solace in the unwavering support of his friends and family. He added that while the feedback has been mainly positive, he has received a few negative e-mails and letters as well.
As he awaits his complaint to be heard, Mr. Vetro has spent the past two years detailing his experiences in a 400-page book that tells his “untold story.” He announced the book on his website, frankvetro.com, where he explains his story and the list of allegations brought against him.
Following his resignation, the district hired Chris Richardt to take over as high school principal in Hampton Bays. Mr. Vetro stressed the fact that his claim, which calls for reinstatement to his former position, was not a personal attack against any district employee, and that he had no intention of causing anyone to lose his or her job. “That’s not the underlying motive here,” he said. “I am not vindictive.”
However, he added that some form of restitution must be made: “But on the other hand, I’m out money, a job, a career and a reputation, and someone needs to find a solution.”
According to Mr. Vetro, none of the original charges against him were brought by a former student with a different district, in spite of what earlier reports have stated. “The issues surrounding my case have nothing to do with a former student,” he stressed. He added, “Of all the statements, that one hurt me,” because of his self-proclaimed dedication to his students.
On Wednesday, Robert Clifford, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota, said one of the original charges did involve one of Mr. Vetro’s former students at Newfield High School, where Mr. Vetro was formerly employed as a teacher.
According to Mr. Vetro, the charges that he pleaded guilty to in March involved an adult woman with whom he had a long-term consensual relationship. He refused to elaborate on the charges, citing his ongoing complaint filed against the district.
As noted in his complaint, the former principal alleges that Hampton Bays School District Superintendent Joanne Loewenthal forced him to sign a letter a separation from the district following the second arrest. The complaint charges that she threatened to fire him if he did not comply.
“Why would I walk away from that job?” Mr. Vetro asked. “The answer is, I didn’t.”
Mr. Vetro said he signed the letter because Ms. Loewenthal promised that his job would be waiting for him after he settled his legal issues. “Basically, she said I was going to be reinstated when I cleared my name,” he said. However, in April, Mr. Vetro says that Ms. Loewenthal informed him that she would not be able to give him his former job.
Mr. Vetro’s claim also charges that the state Education Department violated his civil rights when it placed a hold on his professional license, a move that prevents him from obtaining employment in the education field. He claims that the hold is illegal because he was never accused of a crime that violated state education regulations.
He says he recently called representatives from the department who could not give him a answer as to why the hold has not been removed. “I called them, I asked them and they couldn’t answer me,” he said. “They told me to ask [New York State Education Department] Commissioner Richard Mills.”
Ruth Pollack, Mr. Vetro’s lawyer, said she hopes her client’s case will serve as an example and help others who have been discriminated against to come forward. “If this has happened to Frank, think of all the other people who have lost their jobs unlawfully based on an allegation or an arrest, which is illegal,” she said.
Bryan Finlayson on Sep 30, 2008