Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Sunday, October 13, 1996 Page: 7
Security director candidate questions hiring
In my Aug. 21 letter to the editor, I stated that I planned to do some
research on the school district. At this time I would like to thank both the
Standard-Speaker and The Times Leader for granting me access to their
published material files. I would also like to thank the people who contacted
me for their offers of support and informationIn addition to having news
stories of my plight published in both papers, there was also a segment on a
local television show that I did not become aware of until after the fact. I
have since obtained a video copy of the show that Thomas Marnell and Kenneth
Temborski appeared on, as well as a video copy of the show that featured Dr.
Geraldine Shepperson. I intend to comment on both shows.
Prior to doing that, let me review the part-time security
director/part-time law enforcement instructor position and how the
administration and School Board progressed to this point.
Standard-Speaker article dated March 16, 1994 –
— In another personnel move that appears headed for controversy, the Board
will propose hiring a head of security for the district. Some directors
questioned whether the position was going to be given to a hand-picked choice.
Marnell said it would not.
Standard-Speaker article dated April 22, 1994 –
— Vince Zola hired as Security Director at a salary of $20,000.
In the past two years, the district has purchased a vehicle for the
Security Director and granted him a 50-percent salary increase. This would
indicate to me that the person is an exceptional employee in a very important
position. However, on Aug. 7, 1996, the Board, upon the recommendation of
Shepperson, eliminated the full-time position and made it part-time.
I think what is missing in this ordeal is the truth. Why is it so difficult
for this administration and School Board to deal with the public in an honest,
truthful manner?
We are talking about a half-time teaching position that is going to become
a full-time teaching position. As such, this district should have made every
effort to properly advertise the position in an attempt to obtain the most
qualified applicants.
This administration and School Board has an obligation to provide the best
possible education to the students in this district.
Next to the parents, I know of no one else who has more influence on our
children than our teachers. You have an obligation to the taxpayers to ensure
you hire the most qualified people. In this case you failed and you failed
miserably.
To put it bluntly, this administration and this School Board had a
candidate for this position, a candidate whose qualifications they must not be
very proud of, because they did not try to take him through the front door,
but tried to sneak him in the back door. They would have succeeded had it not
been for the news article that appeared in The Times Leader on Aug. 4, 1996.
This administration and this School Board have been aware of this teaching
position for some time, possibly dating back to the time the Security Director
was hired. I base this statement on Marnell’s interview on the local
television show Sept. 5 on which he states, “It has always been our intention
to consolidate the two jobs.”
He also said “Vinnie (is) to be exclusively teaching.” There is “presently
room for (a) half-time teacher” and “It would have been hypocritical to
interview” (other candidates Richard McGettigan and former Hazleton Police
Chief James Joseph).
I wonder if Shepperson felt like a hypocrite when she called Joseph for an
interview.
I also refer you to a Standard-Speaker article dated Jan. 31, 1995 where
Boyer mentions a possible Police Entrance program, and to a Standard-Speaker
article dated Feb. 8, 1995, where Shepperson states new courses at the Career
Center will include Law Enforcement. Of course, she denies having any
information about this position when asked by Joseph in April 1996. Refer to
The Times Leader article dated Sept. 1, 1996.
I think I have documented enough at this time to show that there was
sufficient time to properly advertise, to interview, and to select the best
qualified applicant.
In my case, there were three applicants for a position. There were no
interviews conducted. Two candidates had a bachelor’s degree, whereas the
person who was appointed had an associate’s degree. Both other candidates had
at least twice the police experience of the person appointed, both had police
management experience, while the person appointed was a supervisor. Perhaps
someone can explain to me the criteria used for this appointment.
To Shepperson, relative to your statement to The Times Leader that was
published on August 18, 1996, “McGettigan is a retired state trooper receiving
a pension, while Zola has a family to raise, this is his only job.”
It has been almost two months since that statement was published, and I was
waiting to see if there would be a denial, a retraction or an apology. Since
none of these have occurred, I can only assume that you have the audacity to
think that you can determine what jobs I can apply for, and what jobs I can be
hired for, based on your definition of need.
In my next letter I will share some more of the information I received and
possibly offer some solutions. In any case, I will not go away and I shall not
be ignored.
— Richard F. McGettigan Sr.
Hazleton