The Locust Valley Central School District’s investigation into former Board of Education President Lauren Themis has concluded that Themis violated her fiduciary duties to the district. Themis did so, the investigation found, by advocating for the interests of the nonprofit group Operation Democracy while directing intellectual property attorneys retained by the district to grant the organization distribution rights to an educational curriculum developed by district employees at taxpayer expense.
The findings were detailed in a confidential report submitted Dec. 1 by an investigator, former Administrative Judge Elena Cacavas, after a months-long probe authorized by the school board. The results were released following a Freedom of Information Law request by the Herald.
The investigation centered on the district’s relationship with Operation Democracy, a civics-focused nonprofit closely tied to district activities including the Remembrance Bowl, student trips to Normandy and curriculum development connected to World War II and civic education.
The report stated that the partnership was generally accepted by the board until last summer, when Themis resigned as board president and turned over communications with intellectual property attorneys to incoming President George Vasiliou.
The Board of Education released a statement about the investigation on Tuesday, which did not mention Themis by name.
“While we acknowledge that a board member voluntarily resigned in December 2025, moving forward, the Board is focused on maintaining stability and continuity in district leadership and operations,” the statement read.
According to the report, concerns about Themis’ connection to Operation Democracy intensified after trustees learned that attorneys retained to protect the district’s curriculum materials may also have been directed to protect the interests of the nonprofit.
The investigation found that two intellectual property attorneys believed Themis was acting on behalf of the full board while directing their work. The attorneys reportedly said that she had “constant communication” with them and “directed” them regarding the district’s curriculum and copyright strategy.
The report states that the attorneys understood that Themis wanted the district to own the copyrights to the World War II education curriculum while ensuring that Operation Democracy retained rights to use them.
In an April 1, 2025, email cited in the report, Themis allegedly wrote that the curriculum “will be gifted to Operation Democracy,” while asking attorneys, “Can they both be named?” — meaning both the district and the non-profit.
Cacavas wrote that while she could not conclusively determine Themis intentionally misled the board or attorneys, the evidence indicated that “Trustee Themis violated numerous of [her school board] duties in advocating for the interests of Operation Democracy with attorneys being paid by the District to advocate only for the interests of the District.”
The report repeatedly questioned Themis’ credibility.
Cacavas wrote that Themis began the interview conducted as part of the investigation by recording it without disclosing that she was doing so, and later refused to sign an affidavit affirming that she complied with instructions not to record the interview.
The report further stated that Themis frequently gave indirect answers to sensitive questions, and often attempted to redirect questioning to benefit the district’s partnership with Operation Democracy.
“Challenging questions that were quite specific were often met with soft answers,” Cacavas wrote, “about the rewarding experiences that the collaboration with Operation Democracy provided and the benefits that were shared with other districts.”
In an interview with the Herald, Themis disputed the report’s characterization of her testimony and the legitimacy of the investigation itself.
“I mean, it’s a very interesting statement,” she said, “seeing that [Cacavas] gave no examples of how I’m not credible and said I answered all of the questions.”
Themis said she was the last person interviewed by Cacavas and provided the investigator with extensive documentation, which she claimed were not included in the findings. The Herald was unable to confirm the documents by press time.
Themis also defended her refusal to sign the affidavit about recording the interview, claiming it was on the advice of her lawyer.
The investigation also found that Themis publicly disclosed confidential information before a July 15, 2025, board meeting during which trustees were set to discuss authorizing the investigation in executive session.
According to the report, board counsel John Gross had informed Themis in writing that the matter was confidential and specifically reminded trustees of their obligations to maintain confidentiality.
Despite that, Themis publicly announced that she was being investigated before the board went into executive session at that meeting.
She alleged that the investigation had been launched in retaliation after she “caught some of the board members in a lie doing business behind the board’s back with the superintendent,” although she did not offer any more details. But according to a public statement she posted to social media shortly after her resignation, her choice was prompted by a lack of trust and disagreements over the district’s handling of Title IX policy.
District Superintendent Kristin Turnow denied allegations of financial impropriety by the district in an interview on Tuesday. Turnow said that district financial practices, including bidding procedures for capital projects, follow standard procedures, and their details are publicly available.
“There’s no mismanagement of public funds,” Turnow said. “And there never has been.”
The investigation concluded that other trustees credibly testified that they did not fully understand the extent of the relationship between the district and Operation Democracy until after Themis resigned.
The report also raised concerns about curriculum ownership and authorship.
District staff members were paid more than $9,300 to develop curriculum materials connected to the Normandy and Remembrance Bowl programs, according to the report. At the same time, Operation Democracy materials and social media posts referred to the content as “our curriculum” and promoted it for use in other communities.
Cacavas noted that the suggestion that non-licensed individuals may have contributed to curriculum materials used in a public-school setting was “potentially problematic.”
Themis disputed the characterization that the district was unaware of Operation Democracy’s role in developing the curriculum.
“It was communicated. I have dozens of communications,” Themis said. “It was only known as the Operation Democracy curriculum.”
She claimed that the district and Operation Democracy jointly developed the materials, and intended for the district to retain ownership while allowing Operation Democracy to distribute them.
Themis also alleged that the district retaliated against her for publicly criticizing district leadership.
The report concluded that the board acted “reasonably and necessarily” in authorizing the investigation, after reviewing communications involving Themis and the intellectual property attorneys. The report stopped short of recommending specific disciplinary action.
Themis said she intends to continue publicly contesting the findings.
“I will continue to clear my name at whatever cost,” she said.
- A story examining additional documents to follow
