Grievances over oversight and auditor independence surface during Rochester school board organizational meeting
Summary
Commissioner Griffin urged stronger separation between governance and administration and insisted the auditor general report directly to the board; Commissioner Lebron criticized a referenced litigation and warned against retaliation toward the auditor general, drawing a sharp on‑record exchange.
A contentious exchange about board oversight and the independence of internal auditing punctuated the Rochester City School District Board of Education’s 2026 organizational meeting.
Commissioner Griffin urged the board to maintain a clear separation between governance and administration, to strengthen the role of the Auditor General and to ensure that legal counsel does not blur lines of oversight. "The auditor general supports this work by reporting directly to the board, operating independently of the superintendent," Griffin said, citing prior reviews including the Aquino report and raising long‑standing concerns over hiring practices and academic outcomes.
Commissioner Lebron pressed a related argument about representation and accountability and criticized prior litigations and investigations discussed in the meeting. On the record he described one referenced case as "BS" and said it would be inappropriate to nominate a commissioner with a pending litigation to a leadership post until issues are adjudicated. He also said the auditor general should be free from retaliation for performing investigations.
No formal policy change or committee directive regarding the auditor general’s reporting line was adopted during the meeting. The comments were part of discussion during the vice president nomination process; the board later elected Amy Malloy as vice president and proceeded with other organizational business.
Both statements were made on the public record at the organizational meeting and reflect intra‑board concerns about governance structure and staff oversight. The meeting did not include an adjudication of the litigation mentioned; no external findings were presented or resolved at that time.
