A state Supreme Court judge has denied Carl Paladino's attempt to remove Buffalo School Board president Barbara Seals Nevergold. In a ruling issued Monday, Supreme Court Justice Tracey Bannister ruled against board member Paladino's motion.
Paladino claimed Seals Nevergold violated the a state law because she failed to run for her board seat last year. Seals Nevergold had been appointed to a vacant at-large-position in 2013 with the departure of Chris Jacobs.
Paladino argued that her past votes should have been thrown out.
Seals-Nevergold met with late Tuesday afternoon with reporters at City Hall. She said she is pleased with the ruling.
"And I'm very relieved," said Seals-Nevergold. "It would have create -- I think -- a chaotic scene in the district if we had to go back and go through all of the votes that had been taken in the last year, and decide which ones had past that I had voted yea on. It would have crated, I think, a serious difficult situation for the district and we really don't need the chaos at this point."
Seals Nevergold had argued she was not required to run last year because the seat was not up for re-election. It was Paladino's third attempt to remove Seals Nevergold from the Board. Seals Nevergold was recently elected to the at-large seat. Her new, five-year term begins July 1st.
"If he appeals the decisions, we will also go back and ask for a stay for judgment," noted Seals Nevergold. We will certainly have a response to his appeal."
Seals Nevergold also accuses Paladino of intimidation and bullying.
"Mr Paladino actually offered to drop the law suit if I would sign a statement that I would not vote to extend the contract of either Dr. Brown or Dr. Guinn," said Seals Neverogld. "I consider it to be unethical."