Principal’s future still uncertain

The newly composed board might be required to take up the issue at some point of what to do with high school principal Ryan Kociela, who was put on paid leave in May along with Mr. Glasspool.

The investigating grand jury, which interviewed dozens of witnesses and pored over thousands of pages of documents, described a culture that allowed sexual relationships to flourish between some male teachers and female students. No criminal charges against officials were recommended.

Some board members who perceived the grand jury report as being one-sided requested that an independent group explore whether Mr. Glasspool or Mr. Kociela violated the state’s Public School Code. The Levin firm has so far billed the school district $27,206 for its work.

To date, the board has not explained why it took up the issue of Mr. Glasspool’s return while leaving Mr. Kociela awaiting a decision.

In addition to Ms. Stepnick’s absence for the vote on reinstating Mr. Glasspool, board member Michele Gallagher was not present. Both women said in interviews they believed their positions on Mr. Glasspool were clear to their colleagues based on a straw poll taken during a closed session, though neither would divulge publicly where they stood. Ms. Gallagher said the board was aware she had schedule conflicts the night of the vote and that she was told the issue would not be on the agenda.

Some are not pleased with how the vote was handled.

“So where were the two missing elected officials?” Plum parent J. Scott Fecsen asked in a letter this week to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The most important vote in the history of Plum School District and the community has two no call/no shows from their elected officials. I believe if either of the missing board members take a seat at any future meeting on the school board they owe it to the students, alumni, parents and the rest of the community to explain their position on the return of the superintendent.”