Allegations Mount against Woodbury Public Library president
Tonight’s board meeting could decide the fate of a controversial library president; read the key charges now
Today’s post is different from our usual in that, I’m going to share with you a bunch of stuff involving the Woodbury Public Library. As we get to the end of the current version of The Monroe Gazette, there are some fights that need to be finished.
Today (8/26/25 at 5:30pm at their Highland Mills Branch, 16 County Road 105 in Highland Mills) is the Board of Trustees meeting.
I’ll be there. Will you?
Since, at the time of this writing, the Woodbury Public Library Board did not grant my request for agenda time this evening, I’m going to share everything that I had intended to this evening.
This way I can use my time to just ask my questions, or as many as I can before they cut me off.
So, let’s start with the letter requesting time on the agenda. And if you’re like “What is going on?!” the letter will explain …
Dear Members of the Woodbury Public Library Board …
I am writing to request time on the agenda for the upcoming board meeting this Tuesday to address an important matter concerning the leadership of the board.
Specifically, I would like to formally request this board undertake discussions concerning the removal of Mrs. Cathy Schmidt as Board President due to:
- The documented and verifiable verbal assault of former Woodbury Town Employee, Patricia Spear on July 24th, 2023, that your board was made aware of and took no action on last year.
-The near physical assault on Maria Hunter at a Woodbury Town Budget Workshop concerning the Library Budget last Fall on or around October 8th, 2024, where Mrs. Schmidt had to be physically restrained from striking Mrs. Hunter.
-The repeated and documented instances of Mrs. Schmidt’s online trolling of Woodbury residents.
-And, last but not least, Mrs. Schmidt’s statements about myself and the reporting in The Monroe Gazette concerning the items I just shared with you here.
The actions and conduct of Mrs. Schmidt have raised significant concerns regarding her ability to fulfill the responsibilities of her position. Her behavior not only undermines the integrity of the Woodbury Public Library but also violates several provisions outlined in the WPL Bylaws and the Trustee Ethics Statement.
For example:
Public Representation (Bylaw 10) According to Bylaw 10, a trustee may not represent the Board verbally, in writing, or on social media without prior Board approval. Mrs. Schmidt has made numerous public statements regarding library matters without the Board's authorization, which constitutes a clear violation of this bylaw.
Collective Authority (Ethics Statement 4): The Ethics Statement emphasizes that all actions of the Board should be decided as a unit. Mrs. Schmidt's independent actions have created confusion about the library's official stance, undermining the collective authority of the Board.
Respectful Conduct (Ethics Statement 5): The Ethics Statement requires trustees to conduct themselves with decorum and respect. Mrs. Schmidt's behavior, including instances of verbal harassment, near physical assault, and derogatory comments towards community members and reporters, is inconsistent with the expected conduct of a trustee.
Confidentiality (Ethics Statement 7): The Ethics Statement prohibits trustees from disclosing confidential information acquired during their official duties. If any of Mrs. Schmidt's statements involved confidential matters discussed in Board meetings, this would also be a violation.
Failure to Uphold Library Values (Ethics Statement 9): The Ethics Statement states that trustees should support the library's mission and uphold patrons' rights. Engaging in behavior that could be perceived as discriminatory or disrespectful contradicts this commitment and damages the library's reputation.
The Impact of Mrs. Schmidt's Statements
I believe Mrs. Hunter, Mrs. Spear, and others, will have plenty of time to address these issues should you investigate them. As far as I'm concerned, Mrs. Schmidt's public remarks directed at me — which I presume were not authorized or approved by this board – include statements such as:
“Your posts are so consistently and profoundly fictional, I believe you do it on purpose for attention and an attempt to draw people out because no one claiming to be a 'real journalist' could be this lame of a writer...or could they?”
“You're not a journalist. Any feelings you may have of legitimacy is make believe, much like your blogging. I don't care about your claims, or your spin because you're not relevant in my world.”
“You will never get and do not warrant any answers from me on social media now, or ever.”
These comments were made in response to good faith attempts at providing Mrs. Schmidt an opportunity to respond to allegations of serious incidents involving verbal harassment of Patricia Spear, her physical aggression towards Maria Hunter, and concerns about fiscal irregularities within the library raised by former Woodbury Public Library Board of Trustees member, Martha Lopez.
Such behavior not only reflects poorly on Mrs. Schmidt but also jeopardizes the library's credibility, especially when it comes time to ask for funding from the public.
For example:
Erosion of Public Trust
Mrs. Schmidt's insulting remarks towards a journalist create a perception that the library is not being led by professionals who respect the media and its role in informing the public.
This lack of professionalism can lead community members to question the library's overall governance and decision-making processes. The library's reputation is closely tied to the behavior of its trustees; if a trustee publicly insults a journalist, it can reflect poorly on the entire board and the institution as a whole. Community members may view the library as an organization that does not uphold standards of civility and respect, which can deter them from supporting it financially.
Impact on Funding Requests
Libraries often rely on community support for funding, whether through local taxes, donations, or grants. If the public perceives the library as unprofessional or hostile — Such as requiring a police presence at their board meetings to protect members of the public who want to raise concerns — they may be less inclined to contribute financially.
Community members want to support institutions that reflect their values and foster a positive environment. Insulting a journalist can lead to strained relationships with the media, which play a crucial role in shaping public opinion. Negative coverage resulting from such incidents can deter potential donors and funding sources who may be influenced by public sentiment.
Furthermore, a trustee's disrespectful behavior can raise concerns about transparency and accountability within the library. If the public feels that the board is not open to scrutiny or criticism, they may be less willing to support funding initiatives, fearing that their contributions will not be managed responsibly.
Long-Term Consequences
Key stakeholders, including local government officials, community organizations, and potential partners, may distance themselves from the library if they perceive it as a contentious or unprofessional entity.
This distancing can lead to a loss of collaborative opportunities and funding sources that are vital for the library's operations and growth.
I think it’s fair to state here that a majority of the Woodbury Village Board perceive the Library presently as a contentious and unprofessional entity, and there are more than a few candidates running for Town Board — if successful, they would hold the majority of that Board’s voting power — that feel the same way.
I believe Mrs. Schmidt’s specific and repeated behavioral pattern has jeopardized the long term future of this Library, and will continue to do so as long as she remains its spokesperson and president.
Additionally, incidents of unprofessional behavior can lead to increased scrutiny from the public and oversight bodies such as the Department of Education.
This Tuesday, I hope to discuss steps involving the Department of Education as it relates to removing Mrs. Schmidt under NYS Education Law.
This heightened attention can result in more rigorous evaluations of the library's operations and funding requests, making it more challenging to secure necessary financial support.
Request for Discussion
Given these violations and the serious nature of Mrs. Schmidt's actions, I believe it is crucial for the integrity of the Woodbury Public Library and the trust of the community that this matter is discussed openly. The board's failure to address these issues not only undermines the integrity of the Board but also erodes public trust in the library as a whole.
Additionally, I will be following up with a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to ensure that the board has adequately addressed this request and convened to discuss the implications of Mrs. Schmidt's continued leadership.
If it does not do so, this too will be shared with the Department of Education as part of the proceedings being initiated against Mrs. Schmidt. The failure to investigate and follow-up on the incident involving Mrs. Spear, despite documented evidence of Mrs. Schmidt having her park pass revoked and their being footage of the incident, is alarming.
Failure to look into the matters raised here will demonstrate to the NYS DOE that I came to the WPL first to address the matter, and you responded by doing nothing, leaving me with no recourse but to request removal of Mrs. Schmidt under the provisions laid out by the NYS Department of Education.
Transparency and accountability are essential for the effective governance of our library, and I hope to see these principles upheld in our discussions.
Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your response and to the opportunity to speak at the meeting.
Sincerely,
BJ Mendelson
And as noted, the Library Board — at the time of this writing — denied my request stating instead that there is an opportunity for members of the public to speak during public comment.
But since Public Comment is time-constrained, as far as I’m aware, that means I don’t get to ask all of the following …
Questions For Cathy Schmidt, Woodbury Public Library Board President
Mrs. Schmidt, I am going to ask you some questions.
You were advised to have your attorney present this evening.
You can answer these questions. You can choose, of course, to not answer these questions. But I will not allow you to claim you were never asked these questions.
That is the reason I am here this evening. Because if I need to escalate this matter to Dr. Rosa, I want there to be no doubt that you were given an opportunity to respond, and that the Board was given the opportunity to investigate the matter.
So, let's begin.
Mrs. Schmidt, you have repeatedly stated on Facebook that the incidents involving Patricia Spear on July 24th, 2023, and Maria Hunter last Fall did not happen. Can you explain why you continue to deny these events occurred despite evidence suggesting otherwise?
2. In your numerous social media comments on the matter, you have dismissed the allegations of verbal harassment against Patricia Spear. You have also claimed that the October 8th or 9th incident where you had to be physically restrained from assaulting Maria Hunter was fabricated. How do you reconcile your denials with the documented evidence and witness accounts that contradict your statements?
And as an example for the Board, in the case of Mrs. Spear, On July 31st, 2023, Mrs. Schmidt received an email from the Town of Woodbury Parks Department stating that her park pass had been revoked because of her behavior. They invited Mrs. Schmidt to attend a meeting on the matter, and I have an email where Mrs. Schmidt then declined that meeting, acknowledging the loss of the park pass
Pictured Above: Despite years of claiming otherwise to the public, Woodbury Public Library Board President was reprimanded by the Town of Woodbury after she was caught on video verbally harassing former Town Parks employee, Patricia Spear.
Despite this, you, Mrs. Schmidt continued to inform the public, as recently as last month, that this incident with Mrs. Spear never happened.
In the case of Maria Hunter, the October 8th or 9th altercation was witnessed by Rey Hernandez and Maria’s husband, Robert.
3. Mrs. Schmidt, since you have asserted that the claims made against you regarding the Spear and Hunter incidents are false. Can you provide specific evidence or documentation that supports your position?
Do you have any witnesses that can corroborate your claims?
4. In light of your public denials about these incidents, how do you respond to the concerns raised by Woodbury residents, who question your credibility as a public representative of the Woodbury Public Library?
Do you feel your behavior has caused the potential of harm to the Library’s reputation?
5. I also have in my possession Facebook posts where you alternate between identifying yourself as “speaking as a taxpayer” and not a library representative, and others where you don’t make that distinction at all. Can you explain why you have used this disclaimer in the past?
6. Given that you’ve used such a disclaimer in the past, are Woodbury residents to take it that all comments without this disclaimer mean you are representing the Library when you make them?
7. I want to note the presence of the Woodbury Police Department this evening. Numerous Woodbury residents have claimed WPL Board meetings are hostile. Others have said they are unwelcoming. These are serious concerns that may raise the potential for violations of New York State’s Open Meetings law. Something that the Attorney General’s office would be required to investigate. How do you address these claims?
How do you address the claims that you specifically are the cause of this hostile environment?
And to the Board, I’d like to flag these Open Meeting Law concerns, should a Woodbury resident choose to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office.
8. According to WPL Bylaw 10, a trustee may not represent the Board verbally or in writing without prior Board approval. Did you receive permission from the Board to make your numerous comments about the incident involving Mrs. Spear and Mrs. Hunter?
In the WPL Ethics Statement, which you signed, there is a section that requires trustees to conduct themselves with decorum and respect.
9. Now: Did you receive Board permission to make additional comments about myself and my reporting at The Monroe Gazette? For example, you previously referred to The Monroe Gazette as a “psy-op.”
Do you believe The Monroe Gazette is a psy-op? Is that the official position of the Woodbury Public Library?
10. More specifically: You have publicly criticized myself as an "accuracy-challenged blogger." Was this statement authorized by the Woodbury Public Library?
Can you clarify how this statement does not violate the respectful conduct provision of the Ethics Statement you signed and agreed to adhere to?
You went on state, and this is a direct quote that came after I asked you to comment on the situation with Mrs. Spear, Mrs. Hunter, and on concerns of financial irregularities:
Was this statement authorized by the Woodbury Public Library?
Can you clarify how this statement does not violate the respectful conduct provision of the Ethics Statement you signed and agreed to adhere to?
You added: “You're not a journalist. Any feelings you may have of legitimacy is make believe, much like your blogging. I don't care about your claims, or your spin because you're not relevant in my world.”
Was this statement authorized by the Woodbury Public Library?
Can you clarify how this statement does not violate the respectful conduct provision of the Ethics Statement you signed and agreed to adhere to?
Now I’d like to direct your attention to another provision of the Ethics Statement which reads: “Failure to Uphold Library Values, which says: “trustees should support the library's mission and uphold patrons' rights. Engaging in behavior that could be perceived as discriminatory or disrespectful contradicts this commitment and damages the library's reputation.” You signed an ethics statement and agreed to adhere to this standard of conduct.
So, Mrs. Schmidt, when you say “You will never get and do not warrant any answers from me on social media now, or ever.”
Was this statement authorized by the Woodbury Public Library?
Can you clarify how this statement does not violate the respectful conduct provision of the Ethics Statement you signed and agreed to adhere to?
Can you clarify how this statement does not violate the failure to uphold Library Values clause of the Ethics Statement you signed and agreed to adhere to?
11. Woodbury Residents, and at least one former Library Trustee, have raised concerns that the library budget is being used as a "slush fund" with little to no financial accountability. How do you respond to these allegations?
What steps have you taken to ensure transparency in the library's financial practices?
12. You claim to have answered public questions regarding the library's financial practices. Can you provide specific instances where you addressed these concerns about the abuse of the Library’s construction and legal funds, including the dates and the content of your responses to these specific concerns?
13. You have stated that you have been transparent with the library's financial practices. Can you then explain why there have been months long delays in providing FOIL requests related to the library's budget and its vouchers?
And it’s here that I want to notify the Board that unreasonable delays in responding to FOIL requests, particularly concerning the finances of the Library, could raise to violations of New York State’s Freedom of Information Law. That could expose the Library to a potential Article 78 Lawsuit, and to those obstructing FOILs to further action by the Orange County Sheriffs department.
That brings me to my last question:
14. Given the serious nature of the allegations against you, including verbal harassment and creating a hostile environment, what measures have you taken to improve your conduct and restore confidence in your leadership?
And finally. You might be asking, “BJ, why does this matter?” Here’s why. I explain in my statement, which I intend to read this evening.
“I don’t want to be here this evening. But I believe in our public libraries. They are the first line of defense for our democracy — a safe, private space for kids and young adults to explore their identities and a last refuge for those most vulnerable among us. Libraries also provide a noncorporate ‘third space’ the public can use without spending money — something increasingly rare in our second Gilded Age.
Yet here we are.
So, just to be clear: My name is BJ Mendelson, and I am a reporter for The Monroe Gazette. Over the course of the last year or so, I’ve been investigating four specific claims against Woodbury Public Library Board President Cathy Schmidt.
The first involves the use of taxpayer money to retain the law firm Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP. This law firm recently represented de facto co-mayor of South Blooming Grove Joel Stern and his group, the United Jewish Community of Blooming Grove. It has also represented members of that group who have filed specious claims of antisemitism against the Village of Washingtonville. The firm has a history of suing organizations and municipalities across southern Orange County, including those here in Woodbury, on similar specious grounds. Woodbury residents claim the library is using their tax dollars to help fund a law firm that has cost them additional tax dollars through often meritless lawsuits. In response to my attempt to get clarification from the Woodbury Public Library on this matter, Mrs. Schmidt posted comments on the Facebook group Families of Woodbury, calling me a “bully with a blog.” She did not answer any questions on this issue, nor has she done so publicly at these board, town or village meetings.
The second story concerns residents’ allegations of financial irregularities involving the library’s construction fund and legal fund. Others, including at least one former WPL board member, have claimed the library uses its financial resources as a “slush fund.” Those words are not mine; they come from residents who believe Mrs. Schmidt, and potentially other parties, are using taxpayer dollars in a manner that’s inappropriate and violates the library’s commitment to serve the public good.
The third story involves acts of hostility and aggression against former town parks employee Patricia Spear in July 2023. Despite a video recording and emails obtained via FOIL demonstrating the incident happened, as recently as July 2025 Mrs. Schmidt has repeatedly and publicly denied that the incident with Mrs. Spear occurred — an act that erodes the trust and credibility of both Mrs. Schmidt and the library as an institution in the eyes of taxpayers.
The fourth and final story involves another incident of hostility and aggression directed at local resident Maria Hunter during an October 2024 town board workshop about the library’s 2025 budget request. As witnessed by Mrs. Hunter, her husband, Rey Hernandez, and the Woodbury Town Board, Mrs. Schmidt had to be physically restrained from assaulting Mrs. Hunter. This incident occurred after Mrs. Hunter raised concerns about the use of the current library budget and its fiscal 2025 request. It is not appropriate behavior for a public library board president to attempt to physically assault someone for asking questions about a budget request.
In the past, Mrs. Schmidt — a frequent Facebook poster — has prefaced some comments with a disclaimer that she is speaking as a taxpayer and not as a representative of the WPL. That disclaimer has not accompanied her comments concerning the incidents with Mrs. Spear and Mrs. Hunter, nor her comments about me, which creates the impression that these comments were made on behalf of the Woodbury Public Library and with the approval of this board.
In my case, Mrs. Schmidt’s comments rise to the level of defamation and expose the library to potential legal action. For Woodbury residents who say they are afraid to attend WPL board meetings because of Mrs. Schmidt’s behavior, those concerns may rise to the level of violating New York State’s Open Meetings Law — something the attorney general’s office can investigate if a resident comes forward.
Finally, I direct your attention to New York State Education Laws 310 and 306. Both laws allow the commissioner of the Department of Education to remove a school or library board member for willful misconduct and neglect of duty. Under Section 310 the commissioner can remove Mrs. Schmidt from her position; under Section 306 someone who has been the target of one of Mrs. Schmidt’s outbursts can request the commissioner to do the same.
I believe Mrs. Schmidt’s conduct meets the definition of willful misconduct and neglect of duty, that it violates the trustee ethics statement each of you sign annually, and that her behavior opens the door to potential violations of New York State’s Open Meetings Law, and a potential defamation lawsuit.
For those reasons, I’m giving you a choice this evening: you can investigate the issues raised and remove Mrs. Schmidt as library board president if necessary, or I will pursue a Section 306 legal action to have her potentially removed by the commissioner of the New York State Education Department, pending an investigation.
Either way, we need our libraries. We must be able to depend on our civic institutions as we watch what I believe is a fascist makeover of this country by a deeply unpopular minority of bullies. We do not need our civic institutions to be run by those same bullies. Where the bullies are found in positions of power, they should be removed.”