Hempstead school board investigating trustee Victor Pratt after motor vehicle stop
Hempstead school board vice president Victor Pratt at a board meeting in 2024. Credit: Jeff Bachner
The Hempstead school board has launched an investigation into its vice president after he was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and other traffic violations, a district spokesman confirmed.
Nassau County police stopped Victor Pratt at 12:11 a.m. Sept. 18 on Clinton Road near Old Country Road in Uniondale, court documents show. Pratt was charged with three misdemeanors, including failure to return his driver's license, registration or license plates, and second- and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. He was also cited for moving from a lane unsafely and being an unlicensed operator, records show.
The documents state he failed to stay in his lane and did not use a signal while turning. Pratt was allegedly driving with a suspended or revoked license that was last suspended in March 2020, the records show.
He was released with an order to appear in First District Court in Hempstead on Oct. 29, according to a spokesperson with the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.
Pratt pleaded not guilty to the charges, records show.
Nassau police did not provide any further information.
Hempstead district spokesman Ron Edelson said in an emailed statement, “The Board has retained special counsel to conduct an independent investigation to determine if the alleged vehicular infractions Mr. Pratt has been charged with, as well as other associated matters, impact, in any way, Mr. Pratt's position as a Board of Education trustee."
Edelson did not elaborate on what the "associated matters" were.
When reached by phone Tuesday, Pratt declined to comment, saying, “It’s not really newsworthy so there’s nothing to say about it.”
His lawyer did not return calls seeking comment. His next court date is Friday.
Pratt has served on the Hempstead school board since 2020, according to his LinkedIn page. He was the board president during the 2024-25 school year.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
