Cognetti to Friendly Sons: Thanks, but no thanks

Mar. 9—Six days after publicly revealing she was snubbed, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti was invited to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County's dinner, but she will not attend.

Cognetti said she received an email at 4:18 p.m. Wednesday from the all-male organization's president, Albert O'Donnell, inviting her to the March 18 event. She declined the invitation because she said she does not believe it was "genuine."

"I will not attend something I do not believe I was invited to in earnest," Cognetti said. "I wish Mr. O'Donnell well in his dinner."

Attempts to reach O'Donnell were unsuccessful Thursday.

Cognetti spoke at last year's dinner and at 2021's virtual event. In a March 3 interview, she said she believed she and Lackawanna County Judge Mary Walsh Dempsey, who attended last year's dinner with her, were not invited back this year because O'Donnell does not want women there.

O'Donnell previously denied the allegation, saying the decision on who would be invited to sit at the dais — a raised platform upon which dignitaries are seated — had not yet been made.

That decision was made Monday. O'Donnell emailed invitations to all Lackawanna County judges, including the four female jurists, but not Cognetti.

Cognetti said in her emailed invitation that O'Donnell reiterated Wednesday that the decision on the dais seating was not made until Monday. He indicated he did not invite her Monday, she said, because she publicly had stated her intent to attend the Society of Irish Women's dinner, also being held March 18.

Cognetti said she still plans to attend the women's dinner. "This is so silly," she said. "Let's get back to the real issues in Scranton."

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tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter.