CHSD superintendent takes medical leave after alleged threat

The Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Educataion voted on Dec. 8 to grant Superintendent Dr. Bill Heidenreich a 12-week medical leave and appointed Assistant Superintendent Clifford Odell acting superintendent.

Heidenreich, who may have been exposed to someone with Covid-19, allegedly threatened to cough on people at his Merrick gym when personnel there said they would start charging him for a membership that he wasn’t using.

The vote was 5-4 in favor of granting Heidenreich the medical leave, with board Vice President John Maier joining fellow District 24 Trustees Armando Hernandez and Lisa Pellicane, along with District 13 Trustee Patricia Farrell, in opposition to the measure. Maier voiced his opposition ahead of the vote, saying, “I feel this is the wrong move here.”

The split decision came four days after publication of a New York Post article detailing how Heidenreich, in a series of text and voice messages sent to the gym in mid-November, threatened to potentially infect staff and gym-goers at Orangetheory Fitness, on Merrick Road, with the coronavirus.

“I’m demanding that you freeze my membership for another month,” Heidenreich said in one voice message obtained by the Post. “If you don’t, I’m going to cough all over everyone.”

“I’m happy to come in there and spread the disease and cough all over everyone,” he said in another message.

In response, the gym notified Nassau County police, but decided to cancel his membership rather than press charges, the Post also reported.

Heidenreich, who lives in Merrick, is a former Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District assistant superintendent.

After the vote, Toni Pomerantz, the Valley Stream Central District board president, said Heidenreich had tested negative for the coronavirus. Speaking to the Herald, Pomerantz declined to say whether Heidenreich’s request for medical leave was related to the alleged gym incident, citing legal restrictions in discussing personnel issues.

On Dec. 6, Heidenreich sent an emailed apology to the Central High School District community, saying he had been dealing with a personal family matter.

“I acted inappropriately to the messages from the gym, which I felt were harassing in nature,” he wrote. “My family has recently been addressing a difficult and traumatic issue, however, there is no excuse for my comments.”

Heidenreich could not be reached for comment.

The incident prompted a swift backlash in the Central District community, with at least some parents calling for Heidenreich to resign or for the board to terminate his contract. As superintendent, his salary for the 2020-21 school year is $281,000.

On the day of Heidenreich’s apology, Franklin Square parent Lauriel Orsano-Morales circulated a petition calling on him to resign, saying, “Our children deserve better than to have their leader say such disturbing remarks.”

As of Tuesday, the petition had gathered 578 signatures.