Jim Thorpe taxpayers recently lost a legal battle in the United States Court of Appeals: Paul Montemuro Plaintiff v. Jim Thorpe Area School District and individually and as a school board member Glenn Confer, Dennis McGinley, Raniero Marciante Pearl Downs-Sheckler and Gerald Strubinger, defendant.

The board members chose to continue to use district funds to pay for legal representation to these attorneys after the case was decided in district court in favor of Montemuro.

Montemuro was elected president of the Jim Thorpe Area School Board, for a one-year term but a week later, the defendants in the case and school board members, Confer, McGinley, Marciante, Downs-Sheckler and Strubinger elected Strubinger to replace Montemuro, with no notice of the change. TJ Garritano, Scott Pompa, Montemuro and I voted to keep Mr. Montemuro in his position as president.

Several board members reached out to the Solicitor Carl Beard and Pennsylvania School Board Association for guidance. Chief Counsel Stuart Knade responded “that does not mean frequent changes in board officers are necessarily desirable, as there is much value in stability and continuity. However, should a majority of the board conclude that a change should be made, the board has the ability.” Being someone that does her research and is not intimidated by a professional, my response, “I’m not understanding how the district policy trumps PA law?” For the last 4 ½ years the taxpayers have been on the hook for all legal fees to Beard, Michael Levin and anyone else affiliated with this case and will be on the hook for any sort of financial settlement in Montemuro’s defense. A few school board members and a nonprofit PSBA that is paid to support and counsel the elected officials did not do their jobs legally and they should be held accountable for the financial loss.

As for Paul Montemuro, who has endured public humiliation in public meetings to defame his reputation and business, not to mention his Fourteenth Amendment right being violate, I applaud him for seeking justice against these perpetrators.

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority – Benjamin Franklin

Cindy Henning

Albrightsville