Judge frees NY mayor jailed in kids camp dispute

NEW CITY, N.Y. – A suburban New York mayor who had been jailed for four days over a dispute involving a children’s day camp was freed on Tuesday, looking a little rumpled but insisting there were “no hard feelings.”

“It was a misunderstanding by staff. People don’t know what other people were doing,” Spring Valley Mayor Demeza Delhomme said as he emerged from the jail where he’d whiled away a long weekend on a contempt of court charge.

“I have no grudges against anyone, no hard feelings,” said Delhomme, who seemed to take the opportunity to unofficially launch a re-election campaign.

“I am elected by the people,” said Delhomme. “I was going to do four years. I’m going to do 12.”

The controversy started when the camp’s youth director got into a conflict with the mayor and was suspended.

A judge then ordered the mayor to open the camp.

Delhomme said he did. But two trustees said some office doors were still locked, so Delhomme was arrested.

The mayor, who was handcuffed in court, agreed to honor conditions involving the camp.

“Everything the trustees wanted is going to happen,” Trustee Vilair Fonvil said outside court. “It didn’t have to come to this.”

Delhomme, a Democrat, was elected last year to replace Noramie Jasmin, who is battling federal corruption charges and awaiting a trial in the fall.

This story was originally published August 5, 2014 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Judge frees NY mayor jailed in kids camp dispute."