AUBURN - The internal conflict among some Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education members bubbled to the surface near the end of Tuesday's regular board meeting, with one board member asking another if information discussed in executive session would be leaked to the press and public.
As a last point of business before adjourning, the board and its superintendent, J.D. Pabis, considered moving into executive session. Pabis said Wednesday the session dealt with personnel, contracts that pertain to those personnel, and possible related litigation.
Prior to the vote to go into the closed-door session, board member Susan Scheuerman turned to colleague Joe Leogrande and asked him what he intended to do with the board's conversation.
“You've made it clear to the board and the public you'd talk to the press with the information discussed,” she said.
“No, not in executive session,” he replied. “Not unless it's an illegal executive session.”
The conversation was seemingly a response to a comment Leogrande made in a Sept. 23 meeting following board approval of a new code of ethics.
“I'm not going to abide by these rules,” he said during that meeting. “I'm still going to continue doing what I've been doing because these are a violation of freedom of speech and the U.S. Constitution.”
During that meeting and the weeks that preceded it, Leogrande excoriated his fellow board members, waging scathing criticism of a revised ethics policy that laid out proper board member conduct during meetings and out in the community, but not when it related to the press.
While Leogrande had multiple objections to the policy, he was strongly opposed to a section included in the first draft, but excluded in the final copy, that dealt exclusively with governing the relationship between the board and the press.
Prior drafts stated that board members were not to initiate communication with the media, but could answer questions if approached by reporters.
Leogrande said nothing had transpired between he and other board members since that meeting, and he was “stunned and surprised” by the dialogue Tuesday night.
“I was very surprised,” he said Wednesday. “I didn't know what she was talking about at first. I was very surprised and stunned to have another board member ask me if I was going to follow the rules of executive session.
“I was very stunned to be called out by a fellow board member like that.”
Scheuerman could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Prior to the vote to go into the closed-door session, board member Susan Scheuerman turned to colleague Joe Leogrande and asked him what he intended to do with the board's conversation.
“You've made it clear to the board and the public you'd talk to the press with the information discussed,” she said.
“No, not in executive session,” he replied. “Not unless it's an illegal executive session.”
The conversation was seemingly a response to a comment Leogrande made in a Sept. 23 meeting following board approval of a new code of ethics.
“I'm not going to abide by these rules,” he said during that meeting. “I'm still going to continue doing what I've been doing because these are a violation of freedom of speech and the U.S. Constitution.”
During that meeting and the weeks that preceded it, Leogrande excoriated his fellow board members, waging scathing criticism of a revised ethics policy that laid out proper board member conduct during meetings and out in the community, but not when it related to the press.
While Leogrande had multiple objections to the policy, he was strongly opposed to a section included in the first draft, but excluded in the final copy, that dealt exclusively with governing the relationship between the board and the press.
Prior drafts stated that board members were not to initiate communication with the media, but could answer questions if approached by reporters.
Leogrande said nothing had transpired between he and other board members since that meeting, and he was “stunned and surprised” by the dialogue Tuesday night.
“I was very surprised,” he said Wednesday. “I didn't know what she was talking about at first. I was very surprised and stunned to have another board member ask me if I was going to follow the rules of executive session.
“I was very stunned to be called out by a fellow board member like that.”
Scheuerman could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
