Teachers reject apology for e-mail

CATSKILL, N.Y., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- About 100 teachers and school staff walked out of a Catskill, N.Y., Board of Education meeting while the superintendent read an apology.

The school employees left the meeting as Superintendent Kathleen Farrell began reading a prepared statement regarding her accidental mass-mailing of a private e-mail that included the phrase: "Please go KILL these people," referring to teachers, the Kingston (N.Y.) Daily Freeman reported Thursday.

Farrell said she attempted to immediately retract the message when some teachers were accidentally named as recipients, but it was opened by one individual before she could recall it.

"I apologized to that individual, copied the CTA (Catskill Teachers' Association) president on this apology and am taking this opportunity to again apologize for this action," Farrell said. "I am a human being who made a very human mistake in correspondence that clearly identified the intended recipient and the sender of the message. I regret my action and the attention that has been drawn to our district because of my action and the angry conversation it has generated."

Union President Patty Hulihan said the teachers walked out because they did not consider Farrell's statement to be an adequate apology.