© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Paladino accused of violating executive session rules

Carl Paladino
WBFO News file photo by Eileen Buckley
Carl Paladino

The leader of the Buffalo teachers union says Carl Paladino has now violated an important school board rule.  WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says as Paladino is facing calls for his removal from the city school board,  he has now given a new reason for his dismissal. 

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore said Paladino "clearly violated" executive session rules by speaking about what has gone on behind closed doors.

Credit WBFO News file photo by Eileen Buckley
Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore.

Rumore tell WBFO News Paladino violated city school board rules. Paladino authored a new article in Artvoice this week, the same publication where he filled out a survey a few weeks ago, making disparaging remarks about the Obamas and causing a public outrage. 

In Paladino's article he accuses Rumore and Superintendent Kriner Cash of holding one-on-one-meetings to settle the teachers’ contract.

Rumore said his executive committee in the process of considering to go to the state education commissioner to removed Paladino.

"This makes it easier for the commissioner as far as I see it. She doesn’t even have to get into the details of free speech, First Amendment rights. I think he’s made it easier for her to remove him.

The city school board has also hired an outside attorney to begin the process of calling for his removal.

Here is one of the excerpts from Paladino's article discussing what occurred in an executive board session:

"In an executive session on the Wednesday before Phil’s scheduled meeting, Nate brought the Board up to date on what terms had been agreed to. Kriner said he needed authority for more money from the reserves.  He said he needed another $10 million and he was certain he could get the return of the management prerogatives and even end lifetime health care for new hires, but he had to put the money on the table to avoid a disastrous strike.

I asked 'What is with this nonsense about a strike?'

Nate and Kriner both said we couldn’t risk it; it would be terrible for Buffalo (That is where I first saw Byron Brown looming over the issue).

I pleaded with Kriner to disregard the illegal strike talk and stop panicking over it because even if they illegally went on strike, no one would care.  We would just put a bunch of babysitters in the schools and Phil would go to jail for a few days.  How sick is it to sit in an executive session, ostensibly held to keep the discussion private, but knowing full well that within minutes Rumore, our adversary, would know from treacherous Board members everything discussed in the meeting."

Related Content