Is district’s house of cards about to crumble?

Perhaps it’s the chickens have come home to roost? Apparently that phrase dates as far back as 1390 Geoffrey Chaucer used it in The Parson’s Tale.

New Coatesville Area schools chief seems determined to repair the district’s image and make staff changes.

There are a lot of old sayings, phrases or clichés to describe the same thing and that is that at some point justice is served, or that the bad guys get caught and order is restored in the world.

In Coatesville — to use another cliché — it has the appearance that the house of cards in the Coatesville Area School District — may be beginning to tumble.

Recently, district solicitor James Ellison’s relationship with the district was ended – although he still has a hand in some old legal work that it was decided he was the best person to finish.

And now comes word that the two district employees were placed on administrative leave at the same time the school board decided it was time to file a lawsuit against two former administrators.

Assistant superintendent Angelo Romaniello and facilities worker Matthew Como, the son of former superintendent Richard Como, were placed on administrative leave effective last week.

Superintendent Cathy Taschner did not release the names of the employees in the message sent to parents Thursday night. School district officials responded Friday to a right-to-know request submitted by the Daily Local News checking on the employment status of Matt Como and Romaniello and it was confirmed they both were placed on leave with pay.

“These employees are being given an opportunity to respond to allegations, as required by due process of law,” Taschner said in a message to parents sent Thursday night. “While I am certain that there

School district officials responded Friday to a right-toknow request submitted by the Daily Local News.

will be many questions as we move through the next few weeks, I again ask for your patience and understanding concerning the privacy constraints that regulate the timing on the release of information.”

There was no indication given by the school district about what allegations were made that forced the school district to place the two on administrative leave.

Neither Romaniello’s attorney nor Como’s attorney chose to comment on the news.

Sources say both will face questioning related to allegations made sometime in the next few weeks and it’s unclear if termination will be the end result.

Romaniello was placed on administrative leave once before in April “pending the outcome of an investigation being conducted by county and state officials working in conjunction with (the school district),” according to a news release issued explaining the administrative move.

The investigation was not related to the texting incident that transpired last year forcing Richard Como and former high school Director of Athletics and Activities Jim Donato to resign last year.

The school board unanimously approved Thursday night to take legal action against Richard Como and Donato.

Taschner also announced the confiscation more than 50 school district-issued cell phones as a part of an investigation searching for additional inappropriate text messages and unauthorized service purchases.

The buzz is that something official will be coming down very soon addressing some of the questionable conduct of some former and current administrators.

And the new superintendent seems determined to clean house and repair the district’s character. But what is clear is that it seems to be the beginning of the end of an era of business the Coatesville Area School District would love to forget.