Good morning — New York State Attorney General Letitia James sent a “cease and desist” letter to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Friday over his order that bans transgender women from female sports teams at county facilities.
The order bans female sports teams from using county athletic facilities unless they confirm that each team member is assigned female at birth.
Her office argues the ban is discriminatory, and will sue the county this week if the order is not rescinded. However, Blakeman said he will not rescind the executive order, and the county will defend it in court if necessary.
“We are very, very confident in the position that we've taken,” Blakeman said. “And we will hopefully be able to resolve this in favor of women who feel that they have been bullied. They've had enough.”
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we’re hearing:
A former Bridgeport police officer pleaded guilty to two counts of assault. Ivan Delgado has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two young girls over 27 years. Delgado, a 14-year veteran, retired in 2020 after two arrests. He was accused of two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a child. Under the plea bargain, he faces 85 months in prison when he is sentenced on May 2.
The Milford Christian Academy plans to appeal a federal judge’s dismissal of its lawsuit against Connecticut’s school vaccine mandate for mumps, measles and rubella. The state eliminated the religious vaccine exemptions in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 50-student school, which remains open during litigation, argues the state law does not have to do with stemming the coronavirus, but rather is intolerant of the “religiously faithful.”
Paying survivors of clergy abuse on Long Island. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre is offering a $200 million settlement to survivors of clergy sex abuse, but attorneys believe the offer will be rejected, potentially leading to 600 abuse cases returning to state civil court. The Diocese urges survivors to accept the plan to ensure payment and to keep the church functioning. If rejected, survivors could compete for recoveries in New York state court. The diocese has previously paid out $62 million to 350 survivors under an independent compensation program.
Sentencing delay for George Santos' former campaign treasurer. Nancy Marks has requested a seven-month delay in her sentencing for allying with Santos, (R-NY) the expelled Long Island congressman, in filing fraudulent campaign finance reports. Marks, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in October, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12. The delay is likely approved by Judge Joanna Seybert, given that both the prosecution and defense agree.
New Haven Schools approves a plan to increase the number of educators of color in the district by 15% over the next three years. The Board of Education wants to address the recruitment, hiring and retention barriers for diverse educators. The district wants to develop career pathways, implement anti-bias hiring practices, and focus on cultural competency and linguistic diversity.
Family sues Bridgeport police over fatal crash. The families of Jose Rosario and Raul Calderon, who died in a car crash off Route 8 in Shelton, are suing the Bridgeport Police Department and two officers for unspecified damages. They claim the deaths were due to an unauthorized chase of the wrong vehicle.
Southold objects to the Suffolk County IDA. The Southold Town Board has criticized the county Industrial Development Agency for approving a $2.7 million tax relief package for the $43.9 million Enclaves luxury hotel. In a letter, Town Supervisor Al Krupski told the IDA to remove Southold from its jurisdiction. The tax breaks include a 15-year schedule of payments in lieu of taxes totaling $700,000 for the project.
Case closed in the 2021 murder of a Yale student. Qinxuan Pan pleaded guilty to murdering Kevin Jiang. He faces a 35-year prison sentence after a plea agreement. Pan was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, after a multi-state manhunt. Police used location data, surveillance cameras and license plate readers to find Pan. When he was captured, Pan was found with seven cell phones, $19,000 in cash, and his father's passport.
An investigation is underway into body parts discovered in a park in Babylon. The dismembered remains were discovered in the Village of Babylon near Southards Pond Park. High school students found the first arm. Homicide detectives are using tattoos and DNA to identify the victims. Southards Pond Park has been closed due to the investigation.
