PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM CLARKSTOWN COUNCILWOMAN STEPHANIE HAUSNER ABOUT THE CHIEF SULLIVAN SITUATION

There are very serious charges being strewn about and I have spent the past few days trying to make sense of them. I do not believe the police department should ever be a partisan issue and I am aware that as councilwoman and police commissioner I have a fiduciary and legal duty to the town. That being said I do want to set the record straight that I was not present at Tuesday night’s town board meeting at which time the vote on Chief Sullivan allegedly took place.

My colleagues had advance notice that I would be absent. I did not participate in any vote and had told the town attorney and the Supervisor that I was not prepared to vote on the suspension of the police chief without seeing any formal charges. It has since been brought to my attention that all other town board members had been afforded that right to see the charges. Therefore, any reports or statements that said the town board voted unanimously are outright false.

I do not feel comfortable commenting further at this time.

Editor’s note – Supervisor George Hoehmann contested Hausner’s statement, claiming she was on the phone with the other board members and cognizant of the situation.