Pleasantville board reinstates employee with 45‑day unpaid suspension and approves settlement

The Pleasantville Board of Education on March 3 approved a personnel resolution that reinstated Mr. Wayne Leggett with a 45‑day suspension without pay and authorized a stipulation of settlement with former district employee Christina Atua.

The resolution read into the record stated: "Be it resolved that the Pleasantville Board of Education hereby agrees to reinstate Mr. Wayne Leggett with a 45 day suspension without pay." The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Miss Sanchez and seconded by Miss Harris.

A roll-call vote was recorded: Miss Akins — yes; Miss Harris — yes; Miss Morgan — yes; Mister Rodriguez — no; Miss Sanchez — yes; Miss Waters — yes; Miss Silver — no; Miss Rowell — yes. The chair announced the motion carries.

The board also resolved to "approve the terms of the stipulation of settlement between the Pleasantville Board of Education and former district employee, Christina Atua, and authorize the president of the Pleasant Board of Education to execute the said stipulation of settlement on behalf of the Pleasantville Board of Education." A copy of the signed stipulation will be filed in the Board of Education business administrator’s office.

During discussion, Miss Sanchez placed on the record that the board followed attorneys' recommendations and noted that litigating further would have been more costly. "We were kinda binded by previous actions by previous people sitting on the board," she said, adding the settlement approach was a cost-avoidance measure.

The actions were completed in public session with roll-call votes as recorded in the meeting minutes.