Wallenpaupack: Fruitful meeting with two visitors; third escorted out of board meeting

The Wallenpaupack school board heard again Feb. 12 from residents who have repeatedly returned month after month for the past year. In one case, the superintendent reported having a beneficial meeting with two sisters who are concerned over the content of certain school library books. Another resident there on a separate matter, however, was escorted from the school building again by school police.

Superintendent Keith Gunuskey meeting with Carolynn Burkholder and her sister Martha Tashiro the week prior. These two school district residents have faithfully been attending school board meetings persistently and assertively repeating their concerns over certain books they feel are inappropriate for young students due to content related to sexuality or gender.

Burkholder thanked Gunuskey for the chance to meet with him, Assistant Superintendent R. Jay Starnes and Cara Dougherty, school counselor. "The give and take was really great," she said, adding it was the first time she and her sister heard the viewpoints of the administration.

"Mr. Starnes explained a little bit about support for having the books we have been complaining about," Burkholder said. "I agreed we have to meet the students where they are, but where do you take it from there?"

Gunuskey also thanked the women for meeting with administration, "so we can really work towards strong solutions." He said that while the administrators cannot address their concerns at the school board meetings, he said he hopes she and her sister realize administrators take into consideration everything they have to say and wish to work with them.

He stated later that one of the women's significant concerns was making sure there are adequate parental controls in place to allow parents to see what their children are viewing. In response, the district added statements in the student handbooks regarding parental access to their child’s library account.

More: How Wallenpaupack parents can be involved in children's library usage

Additionally, at the September school board session, the high school and middle school librarians discussed ways in which parents can see what their children are borrowing, and how parents can block their children from borrowing specific books. The director of technology also discussed parental controls over school-issued tech devices (iPads) at the December board meeting.

Visitor escorted out

Also regularly attending is Maria Rotella, who has continually raised her objections about the school policy for public comment and how she feels her First Amendment rights are violated by the district board and administration, by having to register beforehand, state a topic and be limited in time especially when redressing her government. Gunuskey said that he has repeatedly invited her to sit down with administrators about her concerns, but she has regularly declined.

For the second time, during the February board meeting Rotella was escorted from the meeting held in the high school library by a school resource officer, after refusing to obey the five-minute time limit for public comment.

Rotella told the board she was here again to express her grievances with her government. Referring to when she was first escorted out of the school board meeting on June 12, Rotella said it was done "unlawfully as per the First Amendment." She distributed to the board a list of laws she said they are violating.

"I don't work for you, you work for me," she said. "I did not take an oath of office to uphold and defend the constitutions, but you did," she stated. Between Feb. 16, 2022, and this year, she said she has sent 30 emails to each Wallenpaupack board member. "Not one of you has answered a single one of them, or even acknowledged that I sent them. None! Thirty! Did you just forget to respond? Thirty emails in two years? You have not addressed any of my concerns."

She complained that she received a bill for $261.60 for a Right-to-Know Request for copies of the transportation contracts for the last seven years. Rotella contended that the school district is publicly funded, and she pays taxes; therefore, she should not have to "pay twice" for the copies.  "We the people pay for that," she said, adding taxpayers are the district's employers.

Stating the law prohibits a delegate from delegating their powers, Rotella questioned why all nine elected board members delegate their power to the superintendent, who is not elected. "How is it you are delegating all of your authority? Is that why you don't answer me?" she queried. "I thought you liked to work with the public. You're supposed to. You are a public servant."

The time limit bell rang while she was charging the board with malfeasance and misfeasance. "Your time is up," chairperson John Spall interjected.

She continued her vituperation. Superintendent Gunuskey interrupted, "That is your second warning." Rotella rejoined that they cannot tell her what to do and has already put them on notice of violating their oath.

"We're adjourning the meeting," Spall firmly proclaimed, as the board and administration promptly arose and departed.

Upon resumption of the meeting two and a half minutes later, Spall apologized for the inconvenience to the remaining audience, explaining, "We all need to abide by the rules."

Gunuskey stated he has offered her multiple meetings, but each time she has declined. "I am hopeful that if we are truly looking for a solution for concerns, we will be able to meet in the near future," he said.

Regarding the bill for copies of documentation, Gunuskey said Right to Know laws are meant to increase transparency among governmental agencies, but there remain limits. "If a Right to Know request which is made that yields just a few pages, we simply make copies at no charge," he said. "However, when a Right to Know request yields hundreds of pages, and in Mrs. Rotella's case, over 900 pages, there is going to be a charge."

The fee is based on the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records fee schedule. When she refused to pay, he offered to have her stop in to inspect the records with him at no cost. "She refused this option," he said.

Gunuskey added, "Our school board members and I act in the capacity of public servants, not private servants."

The district regulations for public participation at a school board meeting are under Policy 903, found under BoardDocs at wallenpaupack.org.

In part: A visitor has five minutes to speak and cannot cede one's time to another or speak more than once. Comments may be terminated by the presiding officer if they incite a breach of peace; as a whole, prominently appeal to “prurient interests or are otherwise obscene or constitute threats of bodily harm” or exceed five minutes. Anyone violating the rules will be asked to stop speaking and may be requested to leave the meeting.

Last year, the board amended the policy to allow registration to speak just before the meeting, rather than only during the school office hours, and lengthened the limit from three to five minutes.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wallenpaupack board hears concern over books, public comment policy