frustrated parents turned out in droves Tuesday night for a special meeting of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education where tensions were high over canceled contracts for two mental health providers in the School District board members voted narrowly last week to cut the services for students at The District's two high schools but a senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports outrage over the decision caused the board to do an about face I am going to call the recess you might give the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of edin a for acrimony after a volatile meeting marked by scathing personal attacks and political accusations exchanged amongst members amidst raucous years of Cheers from an emotional crowd one man got ejected for shouting parents and students turned out in force at this special meeting hastily scheduled after the board failed to approve student Mental Health Services in a controversial 4-4 vote last week facing a new school year with nothing in place for an estimated 56 kids who need that support the board scrambled I also want to thank my fellow board members who through this catastrophic decision have worked tirelessly to make this meeting happen even though we have encountered countless attempts by some board members to cancel tonight in almost unanimously to renew 440 thousand dollars in contracts for two companies Sage Thrive and Care Solace but not before getting skewered by students and families who depend on Thrive Services they told emotional stories imagine laying awake at night wondering if you should be hiding the knives in your kitchen because you're worried your daughter May harm themselves eliminate these programs that you know how people that you know people need that you know people can rely on like I okay I have severe treatment resistance depression right I can't just take a pill and have all my problems go away Thrive received my life and it's probably going to continue to save lives if you continue to fund the program so please reconsider your see my decision and put it back the four so-called parental rights board members did explain their previous no votes blaming the superintendent for failing to properly inform them of the consequences one asked forgiveness I sincerely apologize for any distress my vote may have caused you or your families now armed with more comprehensive information I am prepared to vote in favor of these measures that benefit our students I did not understand that my no vote would impact the overall mental health and wellness program that was already in place I believed I was Voting against what I understood to be additional services but board member Kim Ash who still voted no on the carousalis contract also doubled down on prior criticisms that Drew outraged responses I feel there is overreach in the schools and I also fear we are becoming a psychiatric institution due to the continuous addition of new Services Boards of Ed traditionally issue politics but the recent Grassroots movement pushing parental rights candidates has yielded deeply divided boards in New Jersey some enacting policies designed to out queer and trans students to their parents in Ramapo Indian Hills one board member filed a police complaint against another after a parking lot argument the case was dismissed but the hostility festers there's harassment there is intimidation there are ethics complaints there is name-calling my point of order is that Miss Mariani is making personal attacks on me and my mental health which should not be happening right now in the midst of all this the board president has not filed for re-election and some audience members expressed exasperation I believe in the people up there I just wish there wasn't so much anger because we feel it out here and it's really bad we're asking you to start putting the students first and leaving the politics out of it while the vote resolved mental health funding the personal and political conflict here remains bitterly toxic and at the next meeting they'll discuss another controversial issue curriculum in Franklin Lakes I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news