Some residents frustrated with Belle Vernon Area School District superintendent vote
The Belle Vernon Area School District plans to hire a new superintendent during a special board meeting on Tuesday.
But, some parents are frustrated with the potential hire. They say the board is rushing the vote, and say because of a scandal when the candidate was superintendent at the Plum School District, he shouldn’t be hired at Belle Vernon.
Timothy Glasspool is expected to replace retired superintendent Ken Williams, who retired from Belle Vernon this summer.
“I’m not saying this gentleman is a bad person, however, he has made very negligent choices in the past in the position they are hiring him for, and that’s just not what’s best for Belle Vernon,” said one parent told Channel 11. She didn’t want her name publicized or her face to be shown on camera.
She said those negligent choices as a superintendent date back to when Glasspool was the superintendent in the Plum School District.
In 2015, a teacher-student sex scandal shook the district while Glasspool was the superintendent. Three teachers pleaded guilty to having sex with students.
A grand jury that investigated found, “an academic culture that encouraged the protection of friends and colleagues over students... and turning a blind eye to obvious signs of teacher misconduct.”
In 2017, Glasspool resigned from the district, saying he was the target of ongoing antagonistic and hostile behavior by several school board members.
A year later, he was hired as superintendent of the Penncrest School District. The vote to hire him was unanimous, and that is where Glasspool is currently employed.
The parent we spoke to said that hire shouldn’t matter for this job with Belle Vernon.
“This is our future. Our children are our future, and we are putting them in the hands of somebody who is going to be very negligent.”
This parent said the board was supposed to vote on Glasspool at its September 19 meeting. Now, it’s happening on September 5, this upcoming Tuesday.
“It is no doubt because of the heat this is coming into and all of the focus is being drawn into hiring Glasspool,” she said.
Interim Belle Vernon Area Superintendent Jeanine Gregory sent a statement to Channel 11 saying, “After the retirement of Dr. Ken Williams, the District has been actively searching for a new superintendent to lead the District. They conducted a thorough superintendent search that included several rounds of interviews, presentations, and scenario discussions. The Board intends to hire its candidate on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at an advertised special meeting at 6:00 p.m. in Leopard Hall. We are aware of the community’s concerns, but those concerns are based on media reports and innuendo, and not facts. I have been and continue to be willing to discuss those concerns with any member of the community. The District cannot comment further on personnel matters.
The mom who spoke with Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek still wants the community to speak up.
“We raise our children here to speak against injustice even if we are terrified. Please speak out.”
Havranek called the Penncrest School District and asked to speak with Dr. Glasspool for a comment, but his call hasn’t been returned.
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