COVINGTON TWP. - The president of the North Pocono Education Association is accusing a member of the school board of using his influence to choose his children's teachers and coaches.
When Jeanne Yazinski addressed the school board this week, she was apparently talking about Jerry Maglio, who is running for re-election against challenger Howard McIntosh. Mr. Maglio said the statements are untrue and described them as a personal attack on his family.
Amid a contentious labor dispute, Mr. Maglio has said he will not support a contract that does not require teachers to contribute toward health insurance premiums.
"I understand that one of the main concerns of the school board, and especially Mr. Maglio, is anti-nepotism," Ms. Yazinski told the school board. "I want the school board to know and realize nepotism does not just refer to hiring relatives. It also encompasses using political position to get preferential treatment for your own family.
"For example, a certain school board member has had his children moved in and out of classes and has their schedules changed many, many times this year, more times than I can count," Ms. Yazinski continued. "Other parents do not have this opportunity. No other student in this district has had this advantage. As a teacher, I was not allowed to choose my children's teachers when they were in high school. This same board member that I'm thinking of has not only done that but has also hand-picked his children's coaches by hiring who he wants to coach."
Mr. Maglio's daughter Brianna, a North Pocono High School student, responded that "we were being treated unfairly by the teachers" during the public comment period.
"We were picked for our skills, not because of our father," she said of her and her sister's places on athletics teams.
Mr. Maglio was out of town during the meeting. Reached on Thursday, he responded with a prepared statement.
"I find it unfortunate that the association president would make statements, all of which are untrue, personally attacking my children and family," Mr. Maglio said. "I will continue to negotiate a contract in a professional manner and represent taxpayers in a professional way."
Mr. Maglio said he will elaborate further in the near future and said he is proud of his daughter for standing up for herself and her sister.
"The comments were addressed to him because anti-nepotism is his platform that he is running on," Ms. Yazinski said in an email Thursday. "The scenarios that I gave were not referring to any persons in particular, as no names were given."
She did not return calls or emails to elaborate further. Mr. Maglio said no other school board members have children in athletics. School board President Paul Kowalski and member William Burke both thought she was talking about Mr. Maglio.
Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter