Recommended Reading, April 20, 2025

Robert Cox

Robert Cox

— 11 min read
Recommended Reading, April 20, 2025
Batik Egg made with dyes and beeswax to celebrate Easter in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

DUBLIN, IRELAND (April 20, 2025) — Hello, dear readers! Happy Easter | Passover.

First, I owe you all an apology for leaving you wondering about my recent whereabouts. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been busy launching my new website, Dublin Yanks, which I’m thrilled to announce is now live and running! I still have a slew of articles to add over the next couple of months, but I’m off to a great start—I had my first tweet that racked up close to 2,000 views! For some reason, tweets about pints and whiskey are popular in Ireland.

On top of that, I took a long-planned trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, with side adventures to Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Elaphiti Islands—three stunning islands in the Adriatic off the Croatian coast (technically part of Croatia, for those unfamiliar). If you’re a New Rochelle local, you might know the Dubrovnik restaurant there—based on my experience in the real Dubrovnik, I’d bet their seafood is top-notch!

Dining at Nautika restaurant in Dubrovnik, Croatia overlooking Pile Bay (Blackwater Bay)

Dubrovnik served as a key filming location for Game of Thrones, representing King’s Landing and other iconic settings. Here I am enjoying dinner with a stunning view of what fans will recognize as Blackwater Bay.

As soon as we got back, my son arrived from Washington, D.C., for a 10-day visit. He and Loli took a three-day trip to Amsterdam to see the tulips in full bloom, while I stayed behind to watch Zeke. I’m squeezing in this newsletter now because we’ve got another visitor arriving tomorrow—a close friend of Loli’s—and I’ll be playing tour guide, showing them around Dublin before they head back to the States.

While I had a few quiet days with Zeke, I used the time to dig into my inbox and review the responses I’ve been getting from the City of New Rochelle regarding my recent FOIL requests. What I found inspired the articles you are starting to see, and let me tell you, the city’s lack of transparency continues to shock me. They’re stonewalling, creating problems, and operating in ways that I believe are largely illegal. In my 17 years of covering New Rochelle—and having lived there for 30 years—I can say with confidence that this is the most corrupt group of individuals I’ve ever seen running the city. Some of you might tell me you’ve heard of worse back in the day, but I’ve never personally witnessed anything like this.

The good news? Investigations by various agencies are ongoing and have actually deepened. Despite what some of these folks might be saying around the City Hall water cooler—convincing themselves and others that the investigations are over—I know better. They’re being closely watched by criminal investigators, and their continued missteps are only digging their holes deeper. I expect the day will come soon when they face the consequences, and I’ll be happy to cover every moment of it.

One issue I haven’t addressed yet—but I will soon—is the latest with Councilmember Sara Kaye. She recently voted on another Sustainable Westchester resolution, despite acknowledging her conflict of interest as a board member of the organization. She keeps claiming it’s not a conflict because she’s not paid, but the law is clear: payment isn’t the issue. The ethics board in 2023 found her in violation, declaring all prior resolutions she voted on null, void and unenforceable. An outside counsel confirmed this in December 2023, and Corporation Counsel Dawn Warren herself wrote an email in February 2024 to the current council explaining why those resolutions had to be revoked due to Sara’s conflict. Sara even recused herself on February 20, 2024, though she whined about it and only left the dais after Dawn told her she had to leave. I challenged Sara about this publicly when I was in New York last October, urging her to make a legal argument if she believes she doesn’t need to recuse herself, rather than just complaining. She did not.

At the latest city council meeting, she stayed, voted, and no one—not Dawn, not City Manager Will Melendez, not the rest of the council—said a word. To me, this represents the complete collapse of the rule of law in New Rochelle, happening right in public view, with the city’s leadership either complicit or too incompetent to act.

I also checked in with the Department of Public Service (DPS) about their investigation into Sara and Noam which began last year, which I’m told is “ongoing”, but likely on hold, dovetailing with the District Attorney’s investigation, much like the Inspector General’s office indicated. It seems we’re all waiting for the DA to take action, which could also address other issues like Sara’s illegal voting, Workmen’s Comp violations by folks like Mark McLean and LaChonne Williams, and much more. When that hammer drops, I’ll be ready to report on it.

Thanks for sticking with me through this busy time—I’ve got plenty more to share, so keep an eye out for my upcoming pieces!

Oh! I’m trying something new in this newsletter, and I’d love to hear your feedback on whether you like it. I’ve added simplified summaries for the paid articles linked below. My goal is to make my reporting more accessible to everyone, especially for readers who might find longer articles harder to follow—whether due to vision challenges, cognitive differences, or other reasons. On my new Dublin Yanks website, I’ve been working hard to incorporate accessibility features, like using alt text for images to support those with vision impairments. I’m now exploring ways to bring similar inclusivity to my other sites, including this one.

For those who were worried, this article was published on April 1st: City Officials Scramble to Fly 194 Controversial Flags with $750,000 Grant Money

Content Only for Premium Subscribers

Why is New Rochelle Firing Teachers While Spending Millions on Illegal Private School Placements?

Simplified Summary: I’ve been investigating a troubling issue with the City School District of New Rochelle. I’ve uncovered that the district, under Superintendent Dr. Corey Reynolds and Board President William Iannuzzi, has illegally spent over $3.3 million in state funds to place four autistic students at Shrub Oak International School, a pricey private school in Mohegan Lake that’s not state-approved. At the same time, they’re firing teachers and facing a budget vote on May 20, 2025. I’m hitting roadblocks trying to get more details through FOIL requests, and it seems the district is hiding the true cost. If you care about how our school district is spending money and treating our teachers, click the link to read the full story.

New Rochelle FOIL Fiasco: Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes

Simplified Summary: The article details ongoing issues with New Rochelle’s compliance with New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), focusing on a FOIL request for records related to the Citywide Summer Sendoff events of 2023 and 2024. The article frames New Rochelle’s actions as a deliberate effort to hide information, undermining public transparency, and emphasizes Cox’s commitment to holding the city to account.

Dawn Warren’s FOIL Fiasco Invites Litigation, Defies Logic

Simplified Summary: I’m calling out Dawn Warren, New Rochelle’s Corporation Counsel, for her frustrating handling of Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests. I’ve noticed a pattern where she obstructs and delays responses, which feels like she’s practically daring me to sue the city to get the records I’m entitled to. I’m questioning why she’s taking this approach—it doesn’t make sense and seems like a risky move for the city. If you’re curious about this ongoing issue with transparency in our local government, click the link to read more.

New Rochelle FOIL Stonewalling & Useful Idiots

Simplified Summary: The article describes his ongoing struggle with New Rochelle’s obstruction of his Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, which aim to expose corruption. Cox refutes claims by taxpayer Ryan Lewis, who called Cox’s FOILs a costly “Cox tax,” arguing they burden the city’s $275 million budget without sufficient financial return. Cox counters that FOIL is a public right, not a cost-benefit transaction, and the city’s delays, led by Corporation Counsel Dawn Warren, are deliberate to hide misconduct. He cites exaggerated record counts (e.g., 3,000 claimed for Summer Sendoff, only 98 delivered) and unnecessary delivery complications as evidence of bad faith. Cox highlights ongoing investigations into the city’s practices, triggered by his complaints, and vows to continue exposing corruption despite Warren’s delays and threats of lawsuits.

New Rochelle Settles Garris Lawsuit Amid Questions of Timing and Transparency

Simplified Summary: The article describes a New Rochelle City Council vote, 5-1 l, to settle a lawsuit filed by Jarrel Garris’ family for $250,000, following his 2023 fatal shooting by Detective Steven Conn. The lawsuit, minimally active since its September 2024 filing, saw no judge assigned or significant progress. Despite the Attorney General and police finding no liability, the city paid from its undesignated fund balance, not insurance, raising questions about funding and timing. Procedural irregularities during the vote, the absence of a notice of claim’s details, and a filing error by attorney William Wagstaff, which hid the case from eCourts, added to concerns. A FOIL request seeks further records, amid speculation about political motives and a concurrent RFP for legal counsel potentially linked to Wagstaff.

Content for All Paid Subscribers

Garris Attorney, William Wagstaff, Takes Issue with My Reporting on $250,000 Settlement

William Wagstaff, the attorney for the Garris family, is taking issue with dollar amount of the settlement I previously reported on involving the City of New Rochelle. My original article said the city settled with the Garris family for $250,000, a figure I got directly from the city council’s agenda for their April 15, 2025, meeting. At that meeting, Mayor Ramos didn’t read the resolution aloud or challenge the amount, and when I followed up with City Manager Will Melendez via email, he didn’t correct me either. I felt solid about my reporting based on those sources. Now, Wagstaff is saying the $250,000 figure isn’t accurate, but he hasn’t provided any proof to back that up or alternative figure. I’ve already filed a FOIL request to get the official settlement records and see if the amount is different. If it is, I’ll update my story right away to set the record straight.

Content from Elsewhere on the Web

Archive of Past Issues

Cheers for now!

Read more