Clarkstown School Board Member Phil DeGaetano reacted strongly to the latest round of documents filed with the state education commissioner that seek his removal and that of current Board President Doug Katz as trustees. DeGaetano said references to a letter should be followed up with the actual document.
“The smoking gun is the letter,” said DeGaetano on Thursday. “They claim there was this letter. Is she going to show the letter?”
The letter he referred to was one described as having been sent in January 2011 to Attorney Michele Handzel-Miller, who was representing Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan at that time. The letter was described in the original petition filed by Board Members Joe Malgieri, Diane Hoeneveld and Robert Carlucci as “offering the terms of a contract buyout.” The petitioners claimed in their that DeGaetano, who was then board president, and Katz, who was the board vice-president, “acted without authorization from the board to offer the Superintendent a buyout of her contract.”
Malgieri and Hoeneveld stated they visited the office of the school district’s attorney Warren Berbit on Sept. 26 and Sept. 28 to read correspondence between attorneys for the district and the superintendent. At that time, they said they saw “verification of information regarding the offers made to the Superintendent’s attorney occurred in a letter...” The two board members stated they were not permitted to copy, take a photo or write notes about any materials they viewed.
“The essence of the claim has nothing to do with the letter,” he said. “The essence of the claim is they acted without the approval of the entire board.”
He said he has not asked the Keller-Cogan or her attorneys to provide the letter, which had to do with possible “discrete extraction” of the superintendent from the district. If the commissioner felt it was necessary, then he would make the request.
"If I needed to produce it, if the commissioner wanted to see it, I’m sure Meg and her attorneys would produce it,” said Malgieri.
DeGaetano disputed a claim in the petitioners’ answer that he wanted to meet privately with the superintendent to discuss a buy-out of her contract and that the request had been relayed by Berbit to the superintendent’s attorney.
“This conversation never happened between Warren Berbit and me,” he asserted. “I would never have a meeting between me and Dr. Keller-Cogan without the board.”
When asked why his and Katz’s responses to the petitions were not online on the district’s web site along with the three petitions, DeGaetano said he had no problem with them being posted. He said FOIL (Freedom of Information) requests can be submitted for them. Katz was on vacation and unavailable to comment.
“I’m not hiding anything, these are our answers,” DeGaetano said. “’I’m very confident that the commissioner will find in my favor.”
For the past four months the board members have been at odds over Keller-Cogan’s contract, which ends in June 2012. Now, another document has become the focus of the board’s attention. Earlier this week a document belonging to the district was distributed publicly through an of the school district. The board met Monday in special session and voted to hire the Nyack law firm of Feerick Lynch MacCartney to investigate.
DeGaetano supported the investigation.
“I will cooperate fully with that investigation,” he said. “I voted yes to the investigation. I don’t need a subpoena. All he needs to do is pick up the phone.”
DeGaetano said he wanted the results of the investigation made public.
“Unlike the reports from Greece of Dr. Keller-Cogan and her alleged actions at her former school district which the board of education refuses to release, it is my intention to vote that Mr. Feerick’s investigation report be made public,” he said. “Let the chips fall where they may. I think we should hold judgment until that investigation is complete.”
I love how you threw your friend Warren under the bus. I wonder if he could sue you for your comments in the newspaper calling him in essence, a liar! It is amazing to me that you, Doug, Donna, and Kevin never take responsibility for your actions. Instead, you blame other people, accuse other people of lying, but, worse, think we are stupid enough to believe all your smoke and mirror tricks. When you read both the NC Patch and The Journal News, the picture becomes clearer and clearer. Phil, if Warren has the letter, why don't you have him share it with the community. Or has Mr. Katz ordered him not to photocopy it! Seems to me MKC two lawyers affadavits trump your alleged smoking gun! From what I have read in the papers, they are verifying that as President you acted without authorization from the Board of Education. Do you get it yet, PHIL! Poor Warren, he was so afraid of you, Phil taking his long standing job away that he did what you asked and now you publicly throw him under the bus. Way to go Phil! But hey, we should trust you, NOT!
It shows you the type of person DeGaetano is that he would bring up the alleged issue in Greece that Keller Kogan had. Issues I may add that have been refuted time and time again.
http://pleiter.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html
Malgeri CANNOT produce the letter. He wasn't allowed to copy it. I doubt attorneys are lying in sworn affidavits.
I want to see some evidence from either side of this mess already. Malgieri/Dagtaeno I have no clue who to believe so someone, anyone provide me with evidence enough BS! By the way the value of my house just dropped another 25K and my kids haven't been thought of today!
It's called freedom of speech
Please just because you put your "real name" on it does validate anything one way or another. It certainly doesn't change the facts that our kids and community or getting the short end of the stick. Does it Chrissy and Kelly and CC and Joe Cee and whoever?? DOES IT?
“Unauthorized action on the part of the respondents to offer a buyout without the knowledge of the petitioners is the point of this petition. The offer of a buyout was a very direct and specific action that was not authorized by the Board. By the respondents’ own admission, the letter that offered the buyout was NOT available to the rest of the board.” “Mr. Doherty, Mr. Berbit, Mr. DeGaetano, and Mr. Katz all attest to the fact that a buyout offer was discussed with the board at a meeting on March 11, 2011 and Mr. Doherty’s affidavit makes clear that he was authorized by a majority of the Board to discuss settlement with the Superintendent’s attorney. All of them fail to mention, however, that said meeting occurred at 4PM on that day, AFTER the buyout offer had already been made, by telephone, to Mr. Jim Evans, the Superintendent’s attorney.” “As Mr. Evan’s affidavit makes clear, that telephone offer was proffered at approximately 12PM on March 11, 2011. As Mr. Carlucci’s affidavit makes clear, a meeting of five members of the board took place at 4PM on that date, at which time the Board discussed the potential offer, but at no time was there mention that an offer had already been made. We would further note that there is no documentation on the district’s regular Board Docs site, which lists all legal meetings, public and executive session, of a meeting on March 11, 2011.”
As noted in the comment above, even if a comment is anonymous, it can have substance. If it does not. Then ignore it.
In the end, the purpose behind these comment boards isn't so noble, they are here to drive traffic and increase revenue for New City Patch, nothing more. LoHud made a deal with Facebook because there is or they thought there is more money to be made.
You're an angry person, Mike.