Carole Lawson states in her letter of Aug. 13 that Hicksville School Board President Nancy Callari's only response to questions regarding a safety issue in the high school was to say "It is being taken care of." This is blatantly untrue.

I was present at that meeting. Mrs. Callari's response that the matter is being "taken care of" was only one statement in a rather lengthy discussion regarding this issue. During the discussion, Mrs. Callari stated that it was Mr. Thomas Shaw, the district's director of facilities, who raised the issue of a possible ventilation problem (note the word "possible"). She further stated that the matter was being investigated to see if, indeed, such a problem did exist (note the word "if"). Mrs. Callari also emphatically stated that the health and safety of students and staff is a number one priority in the Hicksville School District and that no student or staff member would be placed in an unsafe environment in the high school, or any district building.

Ms. Lawson should be "held accountable" for misrepresenting the statements made by Board President Mrs. Callari. It is despicable for anyone to use the issue of our children's safety to launch a personal attack on a school board trustee.

Carol Koegl