Buffalo parents in the District Parent Coordinating Council have filed a petition with the State Department of Education demanding the removal of School Board Member Carl Paladino for what they call "his history of racist, incendiary and destructive behavior," including his most recent published statements about the Obamas.
The Council, led by activist Samuel Radford, has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at 11 a.m. In a statement, the Council says it is asking the state to put the entire school district into receivership "given the past three year history of district management, the poor academic performance of a vast majority of the district’s students and the continuing failure of the district to come into compliance with federal civil rights law."
Although Paladino has characterized his past comments as free speech, the parents allege that as a School Board member, his speech is not protected under the First Amendment and his "pattern and practices as a School Board member are inconsistent with his duties as a School Board member and constitutes misconduct and violates NYS Education Law."
