Some people have asked, “Who is Emil Hakimi and do we really know who Donna Peirez is?”

In the absence of a neutral organization to sponsor a debate, Michael Glickman would like to know the candidates better.   Indeed, many people have asked, “Who is Emil Hakimi?”

Emil Hakimi is a sincere, involved father of four students in the GNPS who knew the curriculum was changing during COVID when his son was asked by a teacher what his sexual orientation was.

Not only did he perceive it as an invasion of privacy and a step toward usurping the role of parents, but he also knew that it was inappropriate as his child had not gone through puberty yet!

After interviewing many other parents, he understood this was happening throughout the grade. Having children in various grades, he was also privy to an assignment by a teacher in the 11^th grade which declared that if students are categorized as “white,” they must explore their inherent racism towards black people.

He started attending board meetings and heard one parent read an excerpt from a book, declared “appropriate” by GNPS Assistant Superintendent Lando, that was assigned as required reading for 7^th graders that contained sexually vulgar language, racial epithets, misogynistic references, and the portrayal of police as racist.

Emil Hakimi is a parent who felt he had to run for trustee to protect his children and everyone else’s children from curriculum changes that have been promoted by politically motivated interest groups.

Having already sacrificed enormous time, effort, and resources, he has made it clear that he is prepared to do whatever he has to do to serve the children of the Great Neck Public School Community in a quest to establish respect for, and tolerance, and acceptance of all children coming to the Great Neck public schools from families with diverse cultures, religions, values and customs.

Does anyone really know Donna Peirez?

We know that she has been on the board for more than a few years.

Donna Peirez is spreading the lie that our Great Neck Schools are currently ranked #1.   That may have been true many years ago before her tenure at the BOE, but it is not true any longer.

The 2022 U.S. New and World Report gave the Great Neck South H.S. a national ranking of #195 (a decline from last year’s ranking of #188) and gave Great Neck North H.S. a national ranking of #503 (a decline from #444 in 2021).

This decline occurred on Peirez’s watch and the disparity between these two schools became exacerbated under her administration.  How can we trust anything that she says?

Donna Peirez is a trustee who claims that children are her priority.   Yet, she allowed outside special interests to negatively influence the curriculum and instruction of our children.

Donna Peirez is a trustee who served and continues to serve as School Board Trustee even as her daughter is employed as a teacher in the GN Public School system.

In addition, Donna Peirez is a former Great Neck Teachers Union official who has the full and significant backing of the Great Neck Teachers Association.  Peirez has a serious conflict of interest that has never been addressed until now.

In whom should we place our trust?

Arielle Fuld