Parents of Lifeguard Slam Westhampton Beach Village Trustees

The parents of lifeguard and volunteer firefighter James Raynor made their displeasure known at Thursday’s meeting of the Westhampton Beach Village Board. The brief meeting saw the passage of routine resolutions and the opportunity for Terry and Mark Raynor to question the village’s adherence to policy and the board’s ability to look at themselves in the mirror.

James Raynor recently resigned from his position as a lifeguard on Aug. 17, a post he’s been working for past 13 summers. He resigned, he said because he was not allowed to

, the father, a former deputy mayor of the village, initially expressed his displeasure regarding the denial at the August 4 board meeting.

, Mayor Conrad Teller said James Raynor was not allowed to leave because he was serving in a position where lives are potentially at stake, which differentiated Raynor’s call from, say, a village mechanic who also is a volunteer firefighter. 

At Thursday’s meeting James’ mother, Terry, announced her resignation from the village’s beautification committee because she did not want to work for a village that treated its volunteers this way.

As her voice cracked, she suggested board members go home and “look in the mirror and ask yourselves ‘Is this the way you want your family treated, your children or yourself?’”

For his part, Mark Raynor intently questioned the board about its policies regarding drug and alcohol testing for lifeguards, asking if any senior lifeguards had received the required training before they could send a lifeguard who was suspected to be drunk home.

“So were they in violation,” asked Raynor. “Did they have the training to send anyone home?”

“I don’t think so,” said Teller, answering the first question.

Raynor also asked that a letter from Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. be put into the record—the board said they had it—stating he has sponsored legislation that would protect volunteer first responders from losing their jobs as the result of responding to a call.

Raynor also pointed out that the drug testing, as per policy, was supposed to take place at a clinic; however, the practice has been, as confirmed by Village Clerk Rebecca Molinaro, to have a private company gather samples on site that are then transferred to a clinic.

Raynor also asked about the progress of disciplinary hearings for village police officers and how much it has cost the village so far.

“Three hundred thousand dollars,” said Teller.

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