LIU hiring just more of the same

THE LUZERNE Intermediate Unit Board of Directors’ latest hiring sent a message to the public that who you know can be as important as what you know.

In a morning meeting Wednesday, the board unanimously agreed to hire the son of board President Barry Williams as a dropout prevention teacher. Williams abstained from the vote to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In politics, timing is everything, and this action couldn’t come at a worse moment. While the LIU board was ratifying Daryl Williams’ employment, thousands of area residents were learning through news media accounts of the corruption-probe arrest of Joseph Oliveri.

In his capacity as Pittston Area School Board member, Oliveri admitted to a federal charge of taking a bribe for his influence in a contract award. He is one of 11 defendants – and the fourth school official – snagged by the federal corruption probe this year.

Oliveri, although elected in 2005 on an anti-nepotism platform, had a penchant for getting publicly funded jobs for his family members. Though not related to the federal charge or to LIU operations, in four years four of his family members landed school jobs.

The majority of Luzerne County residents – those who aren’t connected – have had more than their fill. The decades-long notion that a lucrative benefit to serving on school boards is to get family and friends jobs is anti-progressive, ripe for breeding corruption and downright wrong.

We would like to see all school board members in Northeastern Pennsylvania take an oath that family members will not be hired during their tenures. With a uniformly level playing field, then good candidates who happen to be related to elected board members will find opportunities in other districts.

There’s no way to determine if Daryl Williams is “definitely the most qualified” of the applicants, as LIU Executive Director Michael Ostrowski told his board.

But we do know that Williams’ hiring demonstrates the old way of conducting public business is not going to disappear easily or quickly.

Overcast 30°

Opinion

Place Quick Ads