M-W School Board admonishes one of its own

Resolution says Theresa Budich’s comments about the hiring of a mechanic are 'both incorrect and potentially misleading’ By Bob Quinn Central Valley - Seven members of the Monroe-Woodbury School Board distanced themselves from remarks made by an eighth member, Theresa Budich, regarding the hiring last September of a maintenance worker who is the brother-in-law of Schools Superintendent Edward J. Mehrhof. The board’s ninth member, Raymond Rivera, did not attend the meeting because he was away on a previously scheduled vacation. Rivera, who recently sold his house in Highland Mills and who has not been at a public session of the school board at all this year, is expected to attend the next school board meeting on Thursday, April 28. The origins of this unusual public criticism of one school board member by the majority of other members occurred last month. At the end of the March 28 school board meeting, Budich said she was troubled after learning that the Mehrhof’s brother-in-law had been hired last September as a maintenance worker in the district at a salary of $52,000. She said she wanted to know why the relationship had not been disclosed. School officials, including Mehrhof, said the man was hired because he was the best qualified applicant. Q&A Prompted by questions from School Board President Dr. Michael DiGeronimo, the district’s business administrators explained the steps they went through to first determine the need for the position, to post it, to interview candidates and then to make the hire. There had been several vacancies for custodians, but the staff in charge of maintaining the district’s building and grounds indicated they needed only one such worker. But they told Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Brian C. Monahan that the department could use the skills of a grounds keeper and a mechanic or maintenance worker. There were internal candidates who applied for the job. The superintendent’s brother-in-law, who had been a finalist for a similar job two years ago, was judged the best person for this posting, Monahan said. “At any time did the superintendent or anyone else encourage you to make a selection?” DiGeronimo asked. “No,” Monahan replied. “To the best of your knowledge, have we hired relatives of administrators before?” the board president asked. “Yes,” Monahan replied, noting the district’s long-standing policy has been “hire the best qualified person.” “Was there anything inappropriate” about this hiring, DiGeronimo asked. “No,” Monahan said. 'Whereas ...’ Shortly after this discussion, board member Natalie Brooks introduced a resolution. It reads, in part, that Budich had provided no evidence that the employee was unqualified or hired in a manner inconsistent with either federal or state law or district policy and that there are “no laws or policies providing that a qualified individual may be barred from public employment based upon the fact they are related, by blood or marriage, to an existing school employee. “Board members,” the resolution continues, “have a fiduciary obligation to both monitor and point out to the public the integrity of their hiring processes, as well as the integrity of the office of the Superintendent of Schools.” Budich’s comments, the resolution adds, appear “to suggest impropriety occurred in the appointment.” Finally, the resolution states: “Board itself views these remarks as both incorrect and potentially misleading.” The resolution was approved by a vote of 7-1. Response Budich said she did not question the employee’s qualification, that her questions were about the hiring process. The complaint had come from a disgruntled employee, she said. She also said that she twice asked at the last board meeting whether it might be more appropriate to discuss the issue in executive session. “I felt misled,” she said, “but this doesn’t change anything. “I really don’t feel there is much opportunity for the board to discuss” issues like this, she added. “Are you accusing the board of not working with you?” DiGeronimo asked. “Don’t put words in my mouth,” Budich replied. She also asked how the resolution offered by Brooks was brought before the board without discussion by the board members. Brooks said she had prepared the resolution following last month’s meeting. DiGeronimo added that the board had a responsibility to defend the office of the school superintendent. Budich again said “all this could have been avoided” had the board adjourned into executive session. But DiGeronimo said the district’s lawyers had informed the board that an executive session was unnecessary because the discussion did not involve the employee’s qualification.

The resolution
The following is the text of the resolution approved Wednesday evening, April 13, by a 7-1 vote of the Monroe-Woodbury School Board:
WHEREAS, at the March 28, 2011 Board meeting, Board Trustee Theresa Budich stated she had been “greatly misled” by the action of the Superintendent of Schools in having recommended a candidate for employment in September 2010, in that she would not have voted for the candidate had she known he was related (by marriage) to the Superintendent of Schools, and
WHEREAS, the employee at issue was approved for employment by unanimous vote of the full Board (including Ms. Budich) at a public meeting on September 7, 2010, and WHEREAS, Ms. Budich has provided no evidence that the employee at issue was either unqualified for the position or hired in a manner inconsistent with either federal or state law or district policy; and WHEREAS, there exist no laws or policies providing that a qualified individual may be barred from public employment based upon the fact they are related, by blood or marriage, to an existing school employee, and WHEREAS, there exists no evidence that the employee at issue was either unqualified or unsuited for the position, and WHEREAS, Board members have a fiduciary obligation to both monitor and point out to the public the integrity of their hiring processes, as well as the integrity of the office of the Superintendent of Schools, and WHEREAS, while Ms. Budich’s belated objection to this appointment appears to suggest impropriety occurred in the appointment at issue, neither any investigation appears to have been made by Ms. Budich nor questions posed to the administration or fellow trustees to determine if, in fact, any impropriety occurred in the hiring process, and WHEREAS, given the fact that these are public statements by an individual who is on the Monroe-Woodbury Board, it is important to clarify that the Board itself is not of the opinion that any impropriety whatever has occurred in the hiring process; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Monroe-Woodbury School District hereby states it does not endorse the remarks made by Board member Theresa Budich at the Board meeting on March 28, 2011 with regard to being “greatly misled” in the hiring process at a Board meeting on September 7, 2010; and be it further RESOLVED, that these statements are attributable solely to an individual Board member, speaking independently, and that the Board itself views these remarks as both incorrect and potentially misleading, since: i) there exists no issue as to the employee’s qualifications for the position; and ii) the individual at issue was entitled to be considered for the position at issue, regardless of relation by marriage to the Superintendent of Schools.