P’ville Principal Nixes Public Review of Personnel File

Outgoing Pleasantville High School Principal Dawn Bartz who made a plea for greater transparency at the Pleasantville Board of Education’s most recent meeting is shielding the public from viewing her personnel file because she fears confiscation of health benefits.

After filing a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the district to view the file, which Bartz has claimed is clean, The Examiner’s July 22 application was rejected because Bartz wouldn’t give permission to view it.

A parent who is also seeking access to the information, Joseph Stargiotti, an attorney with a practice in the village, said he wants to see the file because Bartz has said repeatedly “there is nothing negative in her file.”

“I just want to confirm that that’s the case,” Stargiotti said.

Once District Clerk Irene Powers informed him that he needs Bartz’s permission, Stargiotti reached out to the embattled principal, but she told him she was unable to give permission.

Stargiotti said Bartz told him that her attorney was contacted by the district’s lawyer and threatened her with revocation of some of the benefits she received in the resignation agreement if she gives permission to the public to view her file.

In an interview with The Examiner, Bartz reiterated that point. She said the district has told her she will lose her health benefits if she opened her file for public inspection.

But David Shaw, the attorney for the Pleasantville School District, said his law firm has not contacted Bartz’s attorney recently and the district has not threatened to confiscate her benefits.

“The district is abiding by the terms of the agreement,” he said.

When notified of Shaw’s response, Bartz said that Board of Education President Shane McGaffey is “telling everyone in town” that the board will revoke her benefits.

McGaffey strongly denied that he or any trustee has ever made that comment to anyone in the village.

Bartz later said that McGaffey has also been instructing residents to view her personnel file.

“I’m curious myself,” Bartz said, when asked why McGaffey would encourage residents to the see file but not want Bartz to give permission.

In the agreement reached with the district, Bartz will receive health insurance benefits for a year, the district will not challenge an unemployment claim and Superintendent of Schools Mary Fox-Alter would write a letter of recommendation.

Bartz had previously written a letter of permission for The Examiner to gain access to her personnel file on June 19. The Examiner was able to view the file on June 24, which provided no insight into why she was forced to resign effective Aug. 1. However, the file did not contain Bartz’s 2012-13 performance review, which is done by Fox-Alter.

The most current year’s review was not in the personnel file at the time The Examiner reviewed it.Bartz said that she was rated as effective in her APPR evaluation.

At the board’s last meeting on July 9, Bartz handed the board a waiver she claims would free them from a confidentiality clause in the agreement that prevents them from discussing the circumstances of her resignation.

During board meetings, multiple residents have referenced Bartz’s 2011-12 performance review, which contains no criticism against the principal. In that review, Fox-Alter cited new programs Bartz put into place, her effectiveness in supervising staff and involving community members and other positive notes in an overall impressive evaluation.

“Mrs. Bartz had a very successful first year as principal of Pleasantville High School,” the 2011-12 review concluded. “I look forward to her continued leadership and stewardship of PHS.”