Goncalves sends lawyer letter to board about investigation at Housatonic Valley

FALLS VILLAGE — David Bayersdorfer has been named the interim assistant principal at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, beginning immediately.

Region One Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain made the recommendation to the Region One Board of Education at a special meeting Thursday, Aug. 26. The board approved her choice in the meeting, which lasted approximately 30 minutes.

The first day of school in the region was Monday, Aug. 30.

An interim principal has not been named yet. Gretchen Foster, who had been principal for the past six years, resigned Aug. 4. Assistant Principal Mary Ann Buchanan resigned Aug. 10; she was hired in 2001.

Chamberlain said the regional school district’s Central Office had received “18 to 20†applications for the two positions, and that Bayersdorfer, a social studies teacher who retired this year, had filled the assistant principal position for a month last year. He was also the school’s athletic director for many years. He is a resident of Salisbury.

“He knows our children well, and he’s ready to step in tomorrow.â€

Bayersdorfer’s salary has yet to be determined. Chamberlain said it will be paid on a per diem basis.

The board approved the hiring unanimously.

Who is investigating whom?

An Aug. 20 letter from Francis D. Burke, attorney for Assistant Superintendent Diane Goncalves, addressed to Board Chairman Judge Manning (with copies to Chamberlain and Craig Meuser, the board’s attorney) was a main topic of conversation in the brief meeting.

Burke wrote that Goncalves “has been concerned for some time that she has been the target of harassment directed by a member of the Region One Board of Education ... this campaign has included unnecessary and unwarranted personal attacks having nothing whatsoever to do with Ms. Goncalves’ professional responsibilities.â€

Goncalves was director of special education in the town of Orange, Conn. She resigned in 2008 amid charges from parents that she had bullied them; she was then hired as assistant superintendent in Region One.

In a letter dated March 29 (and attached to the Aug. 20 letter) Burke identified the board member as Gale Toensing (who represents Falls Village). The letters can be found online at The Lakeville Journal’s website, tcextra.com.

In this latest letter, Burke wrote that since the March 29  letter, “the situation has gone from bad to worse. It now appears the board intends to conduct an ‘investigation’ of Ms. Goncalves’ activities under the guise of looking into the circumstances surrounding the resignation of two high school administrators.

“It is our position that the board lacks the statutory authority to conduct any such investigation. Ms. Goncalves falls under the supervision and direction of [Superintendent Chamberlain]. It is entirely inappropriate for the school board to insinuate itself into personnel matters of this kind.â€

Manning noted that the board had met in executive session with its attorney May 10 to go over the rights and responsibilities of board members. That meeting “didn’t go very well,†he said, adding that Toensing declined to participate and left early.

Manning went on to suggest that the board meet with outside agencies — such as the state Freedom of Information commission or the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education — to try again.

He emphasized that such meetings or seminars should be held in public. “I’m trying to make this as public as possible.â€

Andrea Downs of Falls Village, who was sitting in for Toensing, said that any investigation by the board into the resignations would not “necessarily be punitive, but an opportunity to learn.

“Before we hire permanent administrators I’d like to know what we’ve done well and what we have not done well.â€

Hart, the board’s vice chairman, said that until the board’s attorney has a chance to see the Burke/Goncalves letter, the next organizational meeting of the committee (scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m. at the high school library) should be postponed. The board agreed.

But on Friday, Aug. 27, word came from sources familiar with the situation that the board attorney had said the meeting could go ahead as planned.

And just in case it wasn’t all confusing enough, Jonathan Moore (who represents Kent) pointed out that the board has not truly established a committee of inquiry at all — just three board members (Hart, Toensing and Jill Gibbons of Salisbury) trying to define a committee’s structure and purpose, with Hart volunteering to “get it started.â€

The meeting began with public comments that were supposed to only be on agenda items — a restriction immediately eased by board Chairman Manning (who represents the town of Sharon) to allow for comments on the ongoing controversy surrounding the resignations of Foster and Buchanan.

Seeking answers

At the beginning of the meeting, some public comments were allowed, even though they technically were not related to any items on the agenda.

Lou Timolat of Falls Village said he objected to the term “investigation†in the context of any inquiry into why the  administrators left.

“Who’s wrong is not as important as what’s wrong,†said Timolat, suggesting instead the words “inquiry†or “ascertainment.â€

And he said he thought any group looking into the resignations should be “looking for lessons learned†and “not be dominated by or regulated†by the board.

Phil Hart (the board member from Cornwall) said the original term used was “examination.†Hart had volunteered to form the committee to investigate the abrupt administrative departures.

No problems here?

Jonathan Moore read into the record a letter he said reflected “the full support of the Kent Board of Education.â€

The letter said the Kent board found the Region One Central Office to be “supportive and helpful.

“Kent has every confidence in the Central Office.â€

Fred Baldwin, a resident of North Canaan, advised the board to “shut down the investigation.â€

“We’ve aired enough dirty laundry,†he said.

If the board decides to continue, Baldwin advised approaching outside entities for assistance: the state Board of Education, a university, the teacher’s union. “Find people who know something about arbitration.â€

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