ATGLEN, PA — At the Octorara School Board meeting on August 21, Vice President Brian Fox accused board member Anthony Falgiatore of sharing sensitive information with an individual suing the district.
Falgiatore is accused of breaching confidentiality by sharing a “private email” from ex-Superintendent Michele Orner regarding school safety. The email was forwarded to John Ryan Miller, who is currently pursuing legal action against the district, board members, and other individuals in federal court. Miller asserts that his constitutional rights, as protected by the Second, Fourth, and 14th Amendments, were infringed upon by the defendants.
During the meeting, Fox distributed a document indicating that the confidential information had been moved from Falgiatore’s board email address to his personal email, and subsequently forwarded to an external address associated with Miller.
This email was brought to light when Miller used it as evidence in a supplement to his lawsuit. The potential breach of board confidentiality, especially concerning safety issues, raised concerns among board members.
Board member Matthew Hurley expressed his views on the matter, stating, “It’s clearly a conflict of interest, as a sitting board member, to forward information to an individual who is suing the district. It seems surprising to say the least.”
Falgiatore chose not to comment during the meeting.
It should be noted that under the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, emails exchanged between a Superintendent and School Board members are typically not considered private communication and are deemed public records, subject to Right-to-Know with few exceptions. Moreover, Board members are allowed to engage in discussions regarding district affairs with members of the public, whether through email, social media, in person, over the phone, or via postal mail.
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