MONSEY — One of the parents who earlier this week confronted trespassers at an East Ramapo elementary school to highlight the dangers of failing to secure school borders is a Level 1 sex offender.
Keith Meyers, 47, of Spring Valley pleaded guilty in 1999 to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child less than 16 years of age, officials at the state Division of Criminal Justice Services said Friday.
Meyers told Journal News reporter Mareesa Nicosia of his status, but the information was not included in a story on Page One Wednesday.
Level 1 is the lowest of the state’s three designations, and Level 1 offenders are considered at low risk of repeating their crimes.
There are no local laws prohibiting Level 1 offenders who have successfully completed their probation from being on school grounds, said Patricia Gunning, chief prosecutor for the Special Victims Unit of the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
Though registered with the state for a 20-year period, Level 1 offenders are not listed on the state’s sex offender website.
About eight parents patrolled the grounds of Grandview Elementary for two hours Tuesday, confronting walkers as they took a shortcut through the property.
Most of the men and women cutting across the school’s expansive back lawn were Orthodox or Hasidic Jews observing the festival of Sukkot, a time when they typically do not drive.
Joseph Gestetner, a Spring Valley man who writes in the local community and maintains a popular blog, questioned the motives of the parents who patrolled the school and confronted the men and women while they were observing the religious festival.
“There’s a saying in the Talmud that somebody who has failure tends to project that failure on to other people,” said Gestetner, who has a child in an East Ramapo private school.
“Being that he was the guy over there rushing over to people on a Tuesday afternoon in the rain with nothing else on his mind other than wondering if there’s an Orthodox pedophile running around, you have to look at your own books. We did and this is what we found,” he said.
“We showed a bad lapse in judgment,” said CynDee Royle, editor and vice president/news for The Journal News. “The information on Mr. Meyers’ criminal history should have been included, particularly in a story about parents’ fears concerning sex offenders being on school grounds.”
Meyers said Friday he had done nothing wrong and was well within his rights stepping onto school district property to support a group of concerned parents working toward school safety.
“I’m a parent and a taxpayer and I have a right to be there,” he said. “For this to be the lightning rod and focus of this, I’m desperately afraid this is going to take attention away from the real problem.”
State officials said Meyers was sentenced to three years’ probation following the 1999 conviction and that he has served his time. Meyers will remain a Level 1 offender until 2019.
Meyers’ picture and offender status are listed on the East Ramapo School District website.
“Because I’m named in legal action on this, I really can’t talk about it,” Klein said.
Meyers suffered several broken ribs and a concussion during the incident, according to the complaint.
By James O'rourke - lohud.com
“We showed a bad lapse in judgment,” said CynDee Royle, editor and vice president/news for The Journal News. “The information on Mr. Meyers’ criminal history should have been included, particularly in a story about parents’ fears concerning sex offenders being on school grounds.”
Meyers said Friday he had done nothing wrong and was well within his rights stepping onto school district property to support a group of concerned parents working toward school safety.
“I’m a parent and a taxpayer and I have a right to be there,” he said. “For this to be the lightning rod and focus of this, I’m desperately afraid this is going to take attention away from the real problem.”
State officials said Meyers was sentenced to three years’ probation following the 1999 conviction and that he has served his time. Meyers will remain a Level 1 offender until 2019.
Meyers’ picture and offender status are listed on the East Ramapo School District website.
Superintendent of Schools Joel Klein said he could not comment on the matter because of a pending lawsuit filed by several of the parents who patrolled the school.
“Because I’m named in legal action on this, I really can’t talk about it,” Klein said.
After receiving a complaint about Meyers’ presence at the school, the Ramapo Police Department contacted staff at The Journal News on Friday seeking information regarding the incident. Asked later about their investigation, police offered no comment.
Meyers said he has not been contacted by local authorities.
In February 2011, Meyers filed suit against the Village of Spring Valley, the Spring Valley Police Department and several department officers claiming that his rights had been violated during a 2010 incident at his home.
On Feb. 19, 2010, according to a complaint filed by Meyers’ attorney in U.S. District Court, police used a Taser on Meyers, striking him in the back while he was waving a broomstick at a process server who had driven away from his home.
By James O'rourke - lohud.com
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