HS PRINCIPAL PULLEY ALSO USED SCHOOL CALENDAR DURING PANDEMIC TO INVITE COLLEAGUES TO "SOCIAL HOURS" FROM APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2021
NEVERSINK - Michael Williams, the Tri-Valley Central Schools superintendent who has been charged with two counts of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) after an accident last Friday evening, used a school staff meeting that morning to invite colleagues to join him at the Russian Mule Brewing Company in Claryville. That's according to a source who was at that meeting and who spoke with The SullivanTimes today.
"There were 50+ teachers, administrators and staff members there who could verify this," the source said, referring to the invite by Williams.
The source said that Williams told staff that upon teacher release time at 1 pm that day , they were all welcome to join him at the bar that afternoon. It is unknown at press time if any staff members took Williams up on the offer. The SullivanTimes on Wednesday reached out to Russian Mule manager Savannah Mendez for comment.
David Pulley, the district's secondary school principal, has also recently used a school calendar system to invite colleagues out to "social hours." The source said that the invitations were sent out most Thursdays between April and June of this year and that the invites were also repeated verbally at staff meetings. The source said it was "implied that those attending might want to enjoy an adult beverage" during the Google Hangout meetings.
The source said: "I just remember thinking, 'Should I attend any of these evening meetings to seem like a good sport? Should I have a glass of wine in my hand? I don't know. It was weird to me and I did not attend. And when did these school supervisors start thinking that bringing alcohol into their relationships with their subordinates is acceptable?"
The SullivanTimes today left a voice mail and email for Pulley seeking comment.
The Tri-Valley Board of Education (BOE) issued a statement on Tuesday, which confirmed The SullivanTimes reporting that Williams had been placed on administrative leave, pending further action at a BOE meeting on July 8.
While any further disciplinary action by the Board is pending, the State Education Department also has information about "good moral character" of school teachers and administrators.
In part, it reads:
(c) Information in the possession of any person indicating that an applicant for a teaching certificate has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the individual's moral character, may be referred to the executive director of the Office of Teaching Initiatives of the State Education Department. Information in the possession of any person indicating that an individual holding a teaching certificate has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the individual's moral character, may be referred to the professional conduct officer of the department."
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