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Public commenters accuse district counsel and HR of misconduct; speakers call for ethics action and documentation
Summary
Speakers during public comment accused district legal counsel of exceeding authority, criticized HR RIF procedures and described ongoing litigation; the board did not resolve the claims at the meeting and staff said they would follow up on some items.
Several public speakers used the Jan. 7 Paterson board meeting to air allegations about the district’s legal and human‑resources practices and to request accountability.
Ernest Rucker told the board he intends to sue and to file ethics charges over an incident at a Dec. 10 meeting in which, he said, the district’s general counsel attempted to eject a public speaker and "placed [an officer] in a very awkward situation." Rucker said he believes the counsel’s appointment was "voted into that position illegally" and that he is pursuing ethics complaints. The board did not respond with a formal on‑the‑record rebuttal during public comment.
Alexander Cardillo and Dr. Joanne Cardillo addressed long‑running litigation and alleged irregularities in a 2019 reduction‑in‑force (RIF) process. Cardillo argued seniority should govern tenure decisions and said he was improperly placed on a RIF list with two months to tenure; Dr. Joanne Cardillo, a former superintendent, said HR could not produce seniority documentation and accused principals of acting independently of the superintendent in staffing decisions.
Commissioner Teague also raised a separate vendor‑related concern, telling the board she had seen emails and GPS/camera timing discrepancies in claims made by a vendor identified as ESS and asking staff to secure written verification from ESS; she said further inquiry might require executive session. Superintendent and district staff accepted the request and said they would gather information and follow up with the board.
During public comment, Michael Taylor recounted his daughter’s 2023 death in a drive‑by shooting and urged action on gun violence and student support; he also made an accusatory statement referencing a board member’s family member and asked the board to refer that person to federal authorities. The chair ended his time and the board did not take action on that allegation during the meeting.
Board follow‑up: staff committed to gather ESS documentation and to return information to the board; no formal investigative outcome or executive‑session action was announced at the meeting.
