Suspended high school principal says there is no reason to conduct the meeting behind closed doors.
About 200 residents of the Jordan-Elbridge school district attend a meeting Sept. 26 in the Elbridge Fire Department to express concerns about the district and the school board. Monday, a group of citizens from the meeting demanded that several suspended and terminated employees be reinstated.Elbridge, NY -- The Jordan-Elbridge school board met behind closed doors Monday night to talk about pending lawsuits and to address personnel issues.
Board president Mary Alley announced to the 40 people who showed up that the board was going into executive session to discuss two matters under litigation and one that’s pending along with personnel issues. Alley also announced the board would not conduct any business after the session.
A judge has ruled against the district twice in the past two weeks, criticizing the board and the district for operating secretly.
David Zehner, the Jordan-Elbridge high school principal suspended two weeks ago, said there is no reason why the public should not know that the board is talking about whether to appeal his case and another case.
Zehner filed a lawsuit against the board, charging it violated the state Open Meetings Law when it met improperly talked about the appointment of an interim superintendent. State Supreme Court Justice Donald Greenwood agreed, ruling against the district.
In another case, Greenwood ruled on Sept. 24 that a severance agreement between the district and outgoing school Superintendent Marilyn Dominick, who leaves at the end of the month, must be made public. Dominick had refused to release the document to William Hamilton, the district’s suspended assistant superintendent of business and finance.
The district has been embroiled in an administrative shake up that’s been marked by suspensions and lawsuits. The board has suspended Zehner and Hamilton with pay, transferred another principal involuntarily to an other job and negotiated the superintendent’s retirement with two years left on her contract.
Rochelle Hubbs, a member of community group J-E Community One Voice, stood up at the start of the meeting and presented the board with a list concerns and demands that the group wants the board to address at the next school board meeting on Wednesday. The demands came from a meeting of 200 residents who met on Sept. 29.
The group asked for the following:
• The resignation of Sue Gorton, who the board talked about naming the interim superintendent, and that she not be considered for the superintendent’s job.
• The immediate reinstatement of the following administrators and employees: Zehner, William Hamilton, Anthony Scro and Janice Schue. Zehner was suspended two weeks ago. Hamilton was suspended in July. Scro, the district’s treasurer, was fire last month from his job. Schue was reassigned last school year from her job as elementary school principal to a new job as special project administrator.
• The resignation of Paula VanMinos, the district’s director of operations. She could not be reached for comment.
• Stop using Danny Mevec, the district’s lawyer, because of his poor legal advice to the board and the superintendent. The group criticized his legal fees and his personal relationship with a school board member. The board has acknowledged he is dating board member Jeanne Pieklik.
Two Jordan-Elbridge high school students — seniors, Kathryn Alonso-Bergevin and Tory Bush and junior, Christie Smith — handed out blue and white ribbons (the school’s colors) in support of Zehner and “in support of the end of corrupt school board.”
The next school board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the high school auditorium, 5721 Hamilton Road, Jordan.