Political Principal

[slacker]

Irregular News for 11.08.06

 

Bronx, NY -- An East Bronx public school principal has been fined $10,000 for endorsing a Democratic candidate in a letter sent home with students the Friday before the election. The Department of Education is also investigating the school's parent coordinator, who apparently used her city government e-mail address to solicit campaign volunteers for the same candidate, who is running for re-election to the state Senate.

 

As The New York Sun first reported yesterday, the principal of Public School 71, Lance Cooper, issued a letter praising City Council Member James Vacca and state Senator Jeffrey Klein. The letter encouraged parents to "endorse these Community Leaders when they need our support as a way of saying thank you for always being there for P.S. 71!"

 

Mr. Klein, a Democrat who represents portions of Bronx and Westchester counties, faces the Bronx Republican chairman, Joseph Savino, in today's election. Mr. Vacca, a first-term council member, is not up for election this year.

 

After authenticating Mr. Cooper's letter yesterday, education department officials consulted with the city's Conflicts of Interest Board. The Board determined that Mr. Cooper's letter violated the Chancellor's Regulations, which forbids school employees from endorsing a candidate while at work, or in contact with students. Mayor Bloomberg was briefed on the matter, an education department spokesman, David Cantor, said.

 

In addition to the fine, which will go to the city's general fund, Mr. Cantor said a letter would be placed in the principal's personnel file "denoting the unacceptable action that he took." He added that Mr. Cooper seemed "quite penitent," and "acknowledged, as soon as we contacted him, if not earlier, that he suffered a significant lapse of judgment."

 

Several messages left for the principal at his office, and for the parent coordinator on her city-paid cell phone, were not returned yesterday.

 

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