Friday, December 16, 2016
THE PULSE OF THE PENINSULA
Vol. 91, No. 51
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USMMA reforms approved
N O P L A C E F O R H AT E
Fixes address sexual assault, harassment BY J OE N I K I C Federal legislators last Thursday approved steps to address sexual assault and harassment at the Kings Point-based United States Merchant Marine Academy. The actions, which are part of the National Defense Authorization Act, aim to offer midshipmen at the academy more support and resources, as well as increase congressional oversight on sexual assault and harassment-related incidents. “Enacting these reforms will be a step toward a needed culture change at agencies where women and men often work together in close quarters for long periods at sea,” said U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota), chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. In July, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education issued a warning to the Continued on Page 80
PHOTO BY JEFF BARLOWE
Great Neck North Middle Schools students in a leadership seminar with a motivational speaker, Gian Paul Gonzalez, at the kickoff to the school becoming a “No Place for Hate” school. See story on page 70.
Cilluffo re-elected amid controversy Incumbent receives 75% of vote despite anonymous bullying allegations BY J OE N I K I C In a landslide victory, Frank Cilluffo defeated challenger Neil Leiberman by 50 percentage points to win re-election Tuesday as a Great Neck Park District commissioner.
Cilluffo received 750 votes to 250 for Leiberman. “It has been an honor to serve the residents of the Great Neck Park District and I will continue to work hard for the next three years to bring our community together through our parks and recreational services,” he said after his victory. “I would like to thank my family, friends and residents who supported me throughout my time with the park district and I promise that I will
work hard every day for them and our community.” Efforts to reach Leiberman for comment after the election were unavailing. The race between the two candidates sparked controversy last week after an anonymous letter published in the Great Neck Record claimed Cilluffo, the incumbent commissioner, used his firearm to threaten district employees. Cilluffo, who served as a police officer in the New York Police
Department for 22 years, strongly criticized the letter, saying it was a “political tactic” aimed at slandering his name before the election. “It’s a political attack, it’s an attack on my character and it’s all lies,” he said. “There is no truth to it at all. It’s just a political scam.” The anonymous letter, which was posted online last Wednesday, claims Cilluffo would bring park district employees “into Continued on Page 22
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