Southmoreland hoping to move lawsuit along
Southmoreland School District officials are hoping a judge can move litigation forward involving a lawsuit it filed against its former maintenance supervisor, Earl Kramer.
The suit also names General Products and Supply Inc., Commercial Solutions Company, KUDU Associates, Inc. and G.P Industries Inc, which are all owned by Eugene Ciafre, Ciafre himself and Anthony Lizza of Scottdale, a sales associate for the Ciafre companies, as defendants in the suit. Lizza is also a Southmoreland School Board member.
The suit claims Kramer agreed to purchase supplies from the Ciafre companies after being solicited by Lizza, without going through the mandatory bid process.
District solicitor Dave Petonic told school board members Thursday the district's legal advisors will ask a Westmoreland County Judge next Friday to set specific dates to finish the deposition of Kramer and hold the deposition of Lizza and possibly others.
The lawsuit cannot go forward until the depositions are complete. Petonic said the district's legal team has been trying unsuccessfully to complete the depositions since last fall.
"We tried to begin the process last fall, but an objection was made because we tried to do it before we filed a complaint," Petonic said. "Then, we started one with Mr. Kramer this past May, but were unable to complete it at that time, and when we scheduled a time to complete it (June 9), his mother passed away just a day or two before that, so we had to postpone it once again."
Further attempts to set dates for Kramer and Lizza have not worked out to this point.
Director Paul Bayura questioned costs associated with the delays.
"If the judge does set a date, what happens if they don't show up for the one he sets?" Bayura asked.
"Then they better have a doctor's excuse," Petonic said.
In other business, Superintendent John Halfhill reported residents on Fountain Mills Road in Scottdale have issued complaints concerning the bright lights surrounding the middle school.
Several families attended Scottdale council meetings saying the lights were in violation of the borough's nuisance ordinance.
"We looked at possibly replacing the lights or putting shields on the lights," Halfhill said. Cost would be approximately $180 per shield for each of the 16 lights.
"To this date the borough has not told us that we're in violation of any ordinances," he added.
Directors yesterday also approved a resolution to lease rooms at the former Ruffsdale Elementary School to the Intermediate Unit.
The board also accepted the resignations of school police personnel, Sarah Seaton, Harry Seaton Sr., Harry Seaton Jr., Ann Stoner and Dave Stoner, as well as Barry Collins as eighth-grade girls basketball coach.
The board approved Sam Coffman as the new head varsity volleyball coach at the high school and approved the purchase of four radios for the school police and new uniforms.
A special meeting will be held 7 p.m. July 29.
The regular work session scheduled for Aug. 7 will follow a special voting meeting at 7 p.m. that same evening.
