Private school with expired certificate of occupancy fails fire safety inspection

<p>A private school in Monsey that is reportedly running illegally with no certificate of occupancy has failed another fire safety inspection.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 21, 2018, 9:43 PM

Updated 2,083 days ago

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Private school with expired certificate of occupancy fails fire safety inspection
A private school in Monsey that is reportedly running illegally with no certificate of occupancy has failed another fire safety inspection.
More officials are coming forward to urge the town of Ramapo to immediately shut the school down.
The town of Ramapo says its fire inspectors were back at Congregation Bais Chinuch Ateres on Route 306 and found major violations. The violations come after the private school failed its initial inspection back in July.
The town gave administrators 30 days to fix those problems.  Those issues do not seem to have been fixed, and now inspectors say they found additional issues, including overcrowding in classrooms.
The private school is also running without a certificate of occupancy. The school continues to stay open.
Retired Rockland Fire Coordinator Gordon Wren says the town is putting the more than 300 girls attending summer camp there at risk.
"They can be issuing fines up to $5,000 per count, per day, if they want to,” he says.
The town has not issued fines. 
Officials say they do have open charges against the school in town justice court, but they remain pending. Also pending is Ramapo's court order to shut down the school.
A state Supreme Court judge will decide if the school should vacate. So far, the judge has not made a decision. Some officials are worried that by the time one is made, it may be too late.
Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski says he's been in talks with the state commissioner about the schools. He blames Ramapo for not forcing out the school.
"I think other municipalities in the county have taken a more strict approach to these and recognize that these are life and death decisions that these inspectors make every day,” he says.
With another failed inspection, there is no word if the town will take immediate action to get a judge to shut them down.
Officials with the town tell News 12 they are doing everything they can and taking appropriate action against the school. 


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