Bridgehampton Union Leaders Go Public With Concerns Over Superintendent

​Bridgehampton School Teachers Association co-leaders Joseph Pluta and Caitlin Hansen in late November described a “toxic working environment” at the K through 12 school.

This week, they came forward with specifics — laying the blame directly at the feet of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary T. Kelly, in the midst of negotiations over a new contract after the previous one expired at the end of the last school year. The teachers have been working without a new contract, carrying on under the terms of the old contract, since then.

Bridgehampton teachers showed up en masse at the School Board meeting in November, in matching union shirts, and have been outspoken recently about what they say are their struggles.

“The main reason why we’re unifying and wearing the shirts and making more of a presence at the meetings is more so about the hostile work environment,” Pluta said earlier this week. That has been the “bigger concern,” he said, than the inability to ink a new contract.

Pluta gave Kelly credit for work she’s done in the district to increase services and add new programs for students. But he said that, as time went on, he and Hansen had started to hear from teachers about “concerning behavior” from her, particularly in meetings.

“She has said she has an open-door policy, and that’s absolutely true. But we’ve heard reports of staff going in, and they say something she doesn’t like, and they’ve been berated,” he said. “Some of them have come out in tears.”

Pluta said that he and Hansen have addressed those concerns with Kelly when they’ve come up over the years, but added that they recently experienced that kind of treatment firsthand.

“We had a meeting with her, and she got very angry and started shouting,” he said, adding that, after expressing her displeasure about something Pluta and Hansen had shared at a union meeting, the situation devolved.

“She didn’t like the way she had been represented in a conversation with us, and she stood over us, screaming at us,” Hansen added.

The union co-leaders said they sent a letter to the School Board on November 1 expressing their concerns, and that the board responded last week and said that they were taking the situation seriously and wanted to continue good-faith negotiations on the contract.

The board sent out a statement Wednesday morning in support of Kelly.

“The BTA shared concerns with the Board of Education regarding the building environment,” it read. “The Board reviewed these concerns with Dr. Kelly and other relevant parties and is confident that nothing improper occurred. In response, the Board emphasized its hope that the District and the BTA will find common ground, work collaboratively, and not only reach an agreement in current negotiations but also continue strengthening Bridgehampton’s unique and close-knit school community. The Board continues to be hopeful that the assurances already provided to the BTA will help both parties move forward in a positive and productive manner. We remain fully supportive of Dr. Kelly’s leadership of the District.”

On Tuesday morning, Kelly responded to the allegations from the union.

“With respect to the allegation of a ‘hostile work environment,’ it is important to recognize that this is a legal term with a very specific definition under federal and state law,” she said. “No complaints or incidents rising to the level of a legally defined hostile work environment have occurred.

“I am very disappointed by the way in which the union leadership has thrown around such language, and I strongly refute such unsubstantiated allegations.”

She accused the union leadership of “adopting a markedly adversarial posture” and “promoting a negative tone, creating unnecessary alarm, and engaging in conduct that has strained relationships.

“A further concern has been the union leaders’ pattern of filing grievances that lack merit and are ultimately withdrawn,” she added.

Kelly said that, since contract negotiations began in spring 2025, “the relationship between the district and the association’s leadership has unfortunately become increasingly strained. Challenges that existed prior to the contract’s expiration have intensified, which unfortunately occurs during difficult negotiations.”

The superintendent continued: “These issues have been compounded by what appears to be inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate communication with their own membership, including repeated misrepresentations regarding interactions with district leadership and the district’s continued commitment to bargaining in good faith.”

Pluta and Hansen said they’ve gone public with their concerns because, for a long time, they’ve felt “unheard” and have dealt with complaints from teachers going back three years. “These are the next steps we’re taking to move forward with the district and repair some of the damage that’s been done,” Hansen said.

Pluta said the fact that the issues were coming to a head at the same time as the contract negotiations were ongoing was an unfortunate coincidence.

“Caitlin and I take our responsibility as union leaders seriously, but our goals have always been to work with the administration and create a partnership and peaceful environment,” he said. “When complaints and concerns start to build, you try to work it out as a team. But when that doesn’t work, we have to escalate, because our priority is to make sure our members feel safe. We’re here because a majority of our members are afraid and concerned.”

Pluta and Hansen pointed out another reason why they’ve been more publicly vocal about their concerns recently. “We are hearing that there’s conversations of extending her contract,” Hansen said. “We want to make sure that before that happens, the truth is out there, and that the community, the board of education and everybody is aware about what is happening within the district.”

Kelly’s current contract, which was signed in 2023, pays her a base salary of more than $218,000 annually, with a total compensation package that puts her over $240,000 annually. That contract is set to expire on June 30, 2027.

Kelly was hired by the Bridgehampton School Board in 2021, after spending 13 years in the Amityville School District, the last seven as its superintendent. Newsday reported in July 2021 that she left Amityville with a $230,000 settlement, after clashing with the school board and community members over several issues, including her handling of a teacher who had made racist comments on video.

Members of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the NAACP expressed concerns about Kelly’s hiring at a board meeting in June 2021, based on what had transpired during her time at Amityville.

Pluta and Hansen made it clear that they are not calling for Kelly to leave. “We don’t want anyone to lose their job,” Pluta said. “But we need to make sure the district understands what’s going on. Our goal has always been to unite the administration and the union.

“This isn’t the Joe and Cait attack,” he continued. “Our union is telling us they need help. We want to ensure the work environment is one where the staff are treated with respect, and there’s not fear.”

Kelly reiterated that she will continue to keep lines of communication open.

“Our staff knows that I maintain an open-door policy, and they frequently reach out to me directly with their concerns or needs, whether personal or professional,” she said. “These matters are always addressed promptly and with the utmost care and compassion.

“Contract negotiations can heighten tensions, especially if the broader membership may not be fully informed about what their negotiations committee is seeking on their behalf,” she added. “While negotiations can be difficult, we are committed to ensuring that this process does not disrupt the educational environment.”