Free speech? Media relations policy sparks controversy

Talk about tension. Hostility reigned at the Malverne school board’s January meeting, in part because one board member expressed a dissenting opinion on a board policy.

Board member Gina Genti took issue with statements made by board President Dr. Patrick Coonan and First Vice President Marguerite O’Connor, criticizing Genti’s decision to speak to members of the press on board-related matters.

O’Connor questioned Genti for providing comment to the Herald for a story about teacher contract negotiations, and then asked whether board policy established that only the president and district superintendent can act as representatives of the board when dealing with media.

The story in question, published on Dec. 23, outlined the issues surrounding negotiations between the Malverne Teachers Association and the board, and quoted Genti’s comments on cost drivers. While Genti’s comments did not touch on the specifics of the contract negotiations, O’Connor claimed that at least one sentence of the 134-word quote was inappropriate. She claimed the sentence “Malverne’s teachers are not overpaid by LI standards” qualified as confidential, and should not have been relayed to the press.

In her own defense, Genti immediately clarified that her comments neither breached confidentiality nor the board’s policy on speaking to the press, as she was speaking primarily about cost drivers. Still, Coonan said Genti’s comments were inappropriate altogether: she spoke as a board member, and that allows for the assumption that she is speaking on behalf of the entire board.

“I’m a parent, I’m a taxpayer … and I’m a board member,” Genti retorted, “I’m not a board member only.”

In response, Coonan said, “You are held to your highest position. … You are always a board member.”

Refusing to back down on the subject, Genti went on to say that she would continue to express her opinion until her lawyer suggested otherwise. Following the meeting, Genti told the Herald that she will provide comment when she sees fit. “There are a lot of different opinions on this board,” she said, “and people should hear all of them. Why should they only hear one person’s opinion?”

When asked for clarification on the board’s policy on speaking to the media, Coonan said board members can speak to the press as long as their comments are noted as their personal opinions. “Otherwise, it’s perceived as the opinion of the board, when it may not be,” he said, noting that official statements about the district may only come from the board president or superintendent.

“In this case, we are in negotiations — clearly a board issue. And there had been agreement at the table to not go public, from both sides, with anything, as it may affect the process,” Coonan recently told the Herald. “Stating that our teachers are not underpaid and it not being noted as a personal opinion reflects upon the entire board, and I’m sure the teachers have a reaction to it.”

The contentious issue followed a heated debate about the district’s wellness policy — another debate in which Genti was the dissident. She had read a statement decrying the board’s decision to ask for a review of the policy and asserting that the current policy had not been applied. See the full story here.