ELDRED, NY — As the community digests the news of the lawsuit awarding $1 million in damages to a former student, the Eldred Board of Education met behind closed doors to consider a broadly worded motion, and discussed the employment history of an unnamed person or persons. When they returned to the waiting public over an hour later, no explanation was offered to the gaggle of attendees, who appeared to represent a variety of prespectives on the matter.

Though it wasn’t on the agenda, Brian Siegel introduced a motion to hire an outside firm to conduct a forensic audit of the district. The audit would focus on the handling of reports of bullying and abuse; the manner in which student discipline issues have been handled; the manner in which special education determinations have been adjudicated and managed; the interpretation and administration of the district’s various contracts with its collective bargaining units, including the calculation of pay and determination of benefits; the management of budget funds; and the district’s compliance with a number of laws and regulations that protect students and the public.

Reacting to the motion, board president Carol Bliefernich stated that such a review would be looking back, and that while she understood the passion and desire for transparency, the board cannot change the past. Siegel challenged that, saying that because the board has been in the midst of the situation it is difficult to see things differently and that the audit would provide a fresh perspective. 

The dialogue that followed was an unusually free-flowing discussion in which some members struggled to grasp the concept that the forensic audit would be different from the annual financial audit that the district currently undergoes by law, questioned the cost of such an undertaking, and questioned the open-endedness of the motion as to the period of time that the audit would take.

Bliefernich asked to what end Siegel was making this motion, and said that she believed such an undertaking to be premature. She said she would defer at this point to Dr. Morgano, the recently appointed interim superintendent. Siegel responded that an audit was not premature, and that instead it is overdue.

The motion was amended to incorporate a look-back period of seven years, but was ultimately defeated by a 3-2 vote with Bliefernich, Amador Laput and Linda Bohs all voting against the motion. Siegel and Allyson Wagner voted in favor.

The meeting was reluctantly opened to public comment. Audrey Binkowski stated that the district will be getting negative exposure for the second time in the national news. The first was a hazing report of three years ago. Bliefernich asked the point of Binkowski’s comments. Binkowski said, “We have a bullying and hazing problem,” to which Bliefernich responded, “We agree.”

Igor Smetaniuk expressed regret that he had not publicly addressed the lack of leadership in dealing with an issue that affected his daughter years ago. His comments were cut off by Bliefernich as not being appropriate for the public comment period. He was invited to address the board privately. Smetaniuk said that he would have preferred that his issue be on the record.

The next regular meeting of the board is November 2 at 7 p.m. at the MacKenzie Elementary School.