Letters: So much for CASD transparency

Chambersburg Public Opinion

So much for transparency

What happened to the promises of transparency in CASD? On the morning of March 27th I noticed that the CASD board president, Mark Schur, had updated the School Board agenda with a discussion item under Human Resources indicating a salary increase for Assistant Superintendent Catherine Dusman. However, later that day that item was removed and was replaced with an executive session item for discussion of the Dusman litigation. So much for transparency.

Hands typing on laptop keyboard.

But this brings about a really interesting question. What is it that Mrs. Dusman was done to warrant a salary increase?

Let’s do a recap. A Right-to-Know request last year disclosed that she has directly cost the taxpayers of this district in excess of $179,000 on a civil action that Judge Myers dismissed after her legal team presented absolutely no evidence to support her case. In January the board had to transfer $210,000 or $30,000/month from the budgetary reserves to cover six months of legal fees, a portion of which is obviously a result of this almost -ong civil action. A civil action that continues in appeal even after being dismissed for a complete lack of evidence. So it’s pretty clear these legal expenses are not going away anytime soon.

So this brings us back to this March 27th salary increase that suddenly disappeared. I’d like to make a reasonable point and a recommendation to the CASD board. We, the taxpayers, are already footing the bill for the district’s legal fees. If Mrs. Dusman were to ever have a court decision or an out-of-court settlement surely her legal expenses would be included in those actions.

Mrs. Dusman is already making more than three times the average household wages of those in this community who pay her salary. I highly doubt any of us want to foot her legal fees on the front end when we may have to pay them on the back end. She made a choice to sue the district. She is a mature adult with a doctorate degree. She surely knew she would have legal expenses for which she would be responsible if she failed to win her case.

But perhaps that’s Mr. Schur’s concern. Perhaps he recognizes that she has no chance of ever recouping her expenses. But why is that the taxpayers’ problem? I’ll answer that question. It’s not. My recommendation is that we wait to see how these civil actions play out before we voluntarily pay her legal fees via a salary increase. 

Steven Gaugler, Chambersburg

 

 

Thanks for honesty

This is to say thank you to the Chambersburg Walmart employee who found my aunt's purse in a grocery cart and turned it in. Everything was still in the purse, including over $300 in cash. My aunt was frantic, since something like this had never happened before. It is so gratifying to know that even in hard times like there, there are still honest people in the world.
Deborah Caution, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

 

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