Date: Fri 25-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

Linda-Elf-disorderly-police

Full Text:

Linda Elf Answers Disorderly Conduct Charges

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Linda Elf of Sandy Hook appeared in Danbury Superior Court on Tuesday

September 22 to answer to charges of disorderly conduct filed by the Newtown

police.

Mrs Elf had run Wee Care Family Child Care of Newtown for 13 years and had her

license suspended August 14 after an inspection August 12. Her disorderly

conduct charge stems from that inspection.

Mrs Elf agreed to accept a pre-trial accelerated rehabilitation program, which

will require that she do community service, and which will be expunged from

her record after one year.

Afterwards, Mrs Elf said that her lawyer, Vincent McCarthy, advised that this

course of action was the simplest. He told her that if she doesn't admit she

was disorderly, she would have to go before a jury. And if they did find her

guilty, it would remain on her record.

Mrs Elf said afterwards, "You've got to get over your pride. I was all ready

to fight it," but, she decided that fighting it might not be the right thing

to do.

The charges were filed after Mrs Elf called the police to moderate a dispute

involving her and two Department of Health licensing specialist at her home

day care on August 12.

The disorderly conduct charge was based on allegations made by Pat Galante and

Sandra Lok, licensing specialists with the Department of Health. In their

report, they wrote that Mrs Elf "repeatedly argued and expressed agitation

toward two Department representatives and detained them in [her] home against

their will."

Shortly after the incident, Mrs Elf said that she did not detain the

inspectors. She said that she did question them about several concerns she

had, including taking confidential information from her calendar without

parental permission.

Mrs Elf has received strong support from parents of the children she cared for

and other people who know her, many of whom have written letters to the editor

of The Newtown Bee over the past few weeks.

A group of parents is planning to go to the hearing at the Department of

Public Health in Hartford on Tuesday September 29 to fight the department's

proposal to revoke her home day care license.