David Zehner , the district’s high school principal who was suspended with pay last week, is challenging that action, charging the board never voted on her appointment in open session.
Syracuse, NY -- State Supreme Court Judge Donald A. Greenwood will hear arguments this morning about whether Sue Gorton’s appointment as Jordan-Elbridge interim superintendent is legal.
The court hearing is latest part of the administrative shake-up at Jordan-Elbridge school district that has left two administrators suspended with pay, a principal transferred involuntarily, the superintendent retiring two years early and the district treasurer fired.
The school board appointed Gorton to take over on Nov. 1 from outgoing Superintendent Marilyn Dominick, whose last day is Oct. 31. The board announced Gorton’s appointment in an open letter to the community dated July 30.
David Zehner , the district’s high school principal who was suspended with pay, is challenging that action, charging the board never voted on her appointment in open session.
The minutes of school board meetings published on the district’s website support Zehner’s accusation: There is no mention of the appointment in the minutes of any of the meetings.
He wants the appointment voided.
The court session begins at 10 a.m. in Room 311 at the county courthouse, 401 Montgomery St., Syracuse.
In other recent developments related to the controversy:
• Zehner, suspended Sept. 20, was allowed back into the building on Thursday to collect his personal belongings.
• William Hamilton, the district’s assistant superintendent for business-finance who was suspended with pay in July, remains off the job after Greenwood refused to order issue a temporary injunction to reinstate him. That decision came after a hearing in August in which Hamilton challenged the board’s action against him. The judge did not rule on the merits of Hamilton’s case.
• As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the district had not released a copy of the severance agreement with Dominick that a judge has ordered the district make public. Hamilton had asked for a copy of the agreement under the state’s Freedom of Information law, but the district rejected the request. He appealed to state Supreme Court and won.
Reach John Stith at jstith@syracuse.com or 251-5718.