orchard Park School superintendant

[granpabob]

Only just beginning to get imformation on our New supervisor and its turning ugly. first just like everyone else he is behind on his property taxes. hey everyone does that so he is late as long as it gets paid its ok. oh yah he also used the schools credit cards for personal use, Oh well he cheated the system he is in charge of. but the last charge will need some real close checking. the schools gave him a cell phone and 39 calls were made to escort services and XXX rated chat rooms. he claims he loaned the phone to his son .phone was for school business his son does not work for the school. son says he loaned the phone to a friend, Wait it gets better non of them made the calls.TAXES CREDIT CARDS AND PHONE all from the guy who made sure the only two men who looked out for the tax payer were kicked off the school board. the unions hand picked Puppet Cant wait to see the spin on this BS

[SolarEclipse]

I don't really have an opinion on the guy, but if that's the best dirt they can dredge up about him... c'mon. Paying taxes is serious, but a personal issue. The credit card he used he paid for all personal purchases on, and the cell phone... used by whomever... didn't accrue any extra charges on it. I can't imagine the guy is stupid enough to call 900 numbers himself, and whether his son or his son's friends did... who cares?

[300miles]

It may not be a real scandal, but it does say something about this guy's professionalism and trustworthiness.

he said he used his work credit card because he knew his family would abuse his own personal card (but it's ok to abuse the work card?) He also cancelled his personal cell phone as soon as he got a work phone, even though the work phone was not for personal use. then he loans it out to his kid to use? (and it's clear his kid doesn't have much common sense either. How many 25 year olds would be stupid enough to loan out your dad's work phone to his friends?) In addition he's behind in his taxes.

If this is how he treats the little things, how good can he be at his job? Just seems like a whole lot of bad decisions for someone in a prominent position.

[SolarEclipse]

As for the credit card... there's no abuse. He used it to make purchases and then paid them off when the bill came in. Unless he was floating a personal balance and the district was paying his interest, there's no abuse. They may have a policy against it, and if so they he wasn't following policy, but he said his previous position allowed this type of use.

The phone... no employer I know that gives out a work cell phone expects it will only be used for business purposes. Again, that may be the standard written policy, but as a practical matter it doesn't make sense. Usually the rule is as long as you're not going over your budgeted minutes, you're fine. Now, should he have given the phone to his kid? Probably not. If he did, should the kid have been smart enough to not loan it to all his friends, yes. Poor judgement on both of their parts. Grounds for dismissal? Hardly.

Late taxes? Bad thing. But it's a personal issue, not related to his job. Are we firing every person who's late on their taxes? Hey... wait... this could be a good idea... how does one get a law like that passed...

[avet]

OOPS! Sorry bout starting a new thread about this, Granpabob! I didn't know it existed. SORRY!!

========================================
It may not be a real scandal, but it does say something about this guy's professionalism and trustworthiness.
========================================

AMEN TO THAT.

The "attitude" of all these "so called professionals" is all adding up to a "what do you think your going to do about it" mentality throughout these people. It's like dealing with "spoiled rotten" children that have gotten their ways way too long

[granpabob]

I have worked at a few jobs and they went over the phone bills any calls not job related you had to pay for and if they found too many (meaning more then just an emergency ) you lost your phone privedges. got so bad at most places i have worked that the phones were hard wired to the company vihicles or if hand held they were checked in at the end of the day. If I understand the law a school credit card would have a tax exempt attachement. could this have been used to avoid taxes. just a thought. this man is incharge of school taxes for Orchard park he should set an example not show us its ok to be late, and as for the porn calls and escort service calls this man is encharge of children of all ages is this the kind of thing you want your child exsposed too. teachers and school officials should be held to a higher standard since their job is our children

[avet]

this man is encharge of children of all ages is this the kind of thing you want your child exsposed too. teachers and school officials should be held to a higher standard since their job is our children

HERE HERE !! EXCELLANT POINT !

The "unaccountable" teaching "unaccountability 101".

Wonder why kids have an attitude today?

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND - "WITHOUT" A CELL PHONE - OR ESCORT - (PAID FOR BY OTHERS)

ANYBODY KNOW WHO PAID FOR THE ESCORTS? TAXPAYERS?

[SolarEclipse]

Jeez. Half this place wants to rewrite innocent until proven guilty and make it the other way around.

As far as I've heard... NOBODY has made allegations that anyone actually paid for services from said escort or phone sex numbers. I can't believe that a person who's made it as high as superintendant of a pretty good sized surburban school district would be stupid enough to call an escort service on his school-provided phone. His kid might be that stupid.

And it hardly sounds like he's trying to scam the system...


"Because of the difficulty of sorting out personal versus official calls, I simply pay for all my phone usage over the $36 monthly charge for the plan, regardless whether that use is for official or personal business," he wrote in a statement to The Buffalo News, which he said he prepared with the help of Karl Kristoff, the district's attorney.


And I don't believe you can attach a tax waiver to a credit card, you have to provide the company you're buying the product from a copy of that waiver. The credit card is just a means of purchasing. At least that's the way it's worked any time I've dealt with a tax exemption form.

[therising]

When i heard the story on the radio this morning, my first thought was "poor guy, how embarassing - t was probably his kids".

But the "kid" is 25! And he lent his phone to friends he "thought could be trusted'? !

Quite an idiot, the boy is.

And the father can't trust his own family to not abuse credit cards? I wanna see a sitcom of this guy's family life.

Still, let he who has no dysfunctionality cast the first stone.

We oughtta start a forum where we can all annonymously air out the skeletons in our closets. :)

[avet]

.................................................. ......................................
"As far as I've heard... NOBODY has made allegations that anyone actually paid for services from said escort or phone sex numbers. "

"I can't believe that a person who's made it as high as superintendant of a pretty good sized surburban school district would be stupid enough to call an escort service on his school-provided phone. His kid might be that stupid."
.................................................. ....................................

Your probably right! How could he, a "well paid" school super, who gets compensated for ALL his moving, services, his lodging, etc., ever be "so stupid"? It just couldn't ever happen!



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When questioned by The News, Grekalski said the calls were made while his son had the phone
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He couldn't be "so stupid" as to let his son use his "official use only phone" ? Naaaa!


.................................................. ......................................
"His son said he had lent the phone to friends, who placed the calls."

"His son, Paul Jr., 25, said: "I lent the phone out. I thought these guys could be trusted."
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His son couldn't be "so stupid" as to let his friends use the "official use only phone" that HE HIMSELF is NOT supposed to have, and let them MAKE ILLEGAL CALLS TO ESCORT SERVICES and SEX CHAT LINES, etc.? Naaaa!



.................................................. ....................................
News of the calls comes at the same time information surfaced that the district has paid his rent since September, while taxes on his house in Chautauqua County are unpaid. Two weeks ago, Grekalski came under scrutiny for charging $3,191 in personal expenses to a district credit card, without the School Board's knowledge.
.................................................. ....................................

He sounds like a "resonably honest", "well educated" person. Right? So he does a little of "this", and a little of "that", ...sh** ! So does EVERYBODY ELSE that gets paid with tax dollars!!



.................................................. ...................................
"Grekalski reimbursed the district for those charges"
.................................................. ....................................
He would have "paid for" all those charges, "even if he wasn't caught". Right?


WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THE FUSS - IT'S JUST TAX MONEY FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD !!


He's definitly "GUILTY" OF "BEING STUPID". Now, let's figure out all his expenses, and GET THEM ALL PAID! He is, after all, a "teacher"

[WNYresident]

Makes you wonder though the mentalitly of the people we have working for us.

I took my dads phone and lent to my friend. If the dad didn't need the phone and it's available for friend usage why are they given phones in the first place?

So if someone importants calls the super and Paul Jr's friends answers the phone what do they say? Hello? This is Paul Jr's friend how can I help you. Caller: The school is burning I need the super can you help me?

[SolarEclipse]

Seriously... I don't know what world some people live in. The guy is no George Holt. He negotiated a deal that pays for his moving expenses and lodging? Doesn't sound too stupid to me.

He cancelled his personal cell phone, uses his school cell phone, and pays the bill anything beyond what the school would pay for. What's stupid about that? How many cell phones would you want to carry around on your belt every day?

I said his son COULD be that stupid. Kids are often stupid. I did a lot of stupid things at 25. So the super was dumb by lending his son his cell phone. Maybe the guy thought his son was smarter than he apparently is? Naaa

When the story about the charge card charges first came out a couple weeks ago - the school board said there was NO INDICATION of any wrongdoing, that he always intended on paying the charges, he just wasn't aware of the policy.

You're complaining about tax money... and NONE WAS SPENT FRAUDULENTLY. Let's keep our eye on the ball here. There's plenty of real crooks in this county to deal with. This is starting to sound like a witchhunt. You know what hasn't been mentioned... how much is this investigation going to cost? I don't want to pay for THAT.

[therising]

Originally posted by WNYresident
Hello? This is Paul Jr's friend how can I help you. Caller: The school is burning I need the super can you help me?

Paul Jr's Friend: Listen, I'd love to help you, but I've got this REALLY hot blonde on the other line.

[avet]

When the story about the charge card charges first came out a couple weeks ago - the school board said there was NO INDICATION of any wrongdoing

Well, I feel much better. A school board would never let one of their own get away with anything.

Lawyers watch lawyers

Doctors watch doctors

Etc.

As I said before

Ever notice that "EVERY" entity left to "police" and "control" itself is OUT OF HAND ?

GOVERNMENT - COSTING US BIG $$$$$$$, AND IS OUT OF HAND

LEGAL SYSTEM - COSTING US BIG $$$$$$$, AND IS OUT OF HAND

MEDICAL FIELD - COSTING US BIG $$$$$$$, AND IS OUT OF HAND

CORPORATIONS - COSTING US BIG $$$$$$$, AND IS OUT OF HAND

ENERGY - COSTING US BIG $$$$$$$, AND IS WAY OUT OF HAND

[avet]

"Seriously... I don't know what world some people live in. The guy is no George Holt. He negotiated a deal that pays for his moving expenses and lodging? Doesn't sound too stupid to me.

He cancelled his personal cell phone, uses his school cell phone, and pays the bill anything beyond what the school would pay for. What's stupid about that? How many cell phones would you want to carry around on your belt every day?"
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Seriously ?

How much money does this guy make a year?

He "can't afford" to buy his son a cell phone, with what he makes, and all his expenses " paid for " through negotiations ?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How many cell phones would you want to carry around on your belt every day?"
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Apparently, he don't carry ANY cell phones on HIS belt.

If he pays for his son's cell phone, why would he be carrying it with his own at the same time? Did he negotiate that deal to where his son could use his phone, and then lend it to his friends, (which it seems, are not trustworthy) ?

Sounds very stupid to me.

[SolarEclipse]

There's no doubt the guy was stupid to lend his kid his phone. It was given to him so that HE could be reached if necessary. All I'm saying is that in itself is not grounds to fire the guy.

Now if he made the calls himself, that's a completely different story.

[buffknut]

I can't believe anyone is even remotely defending this guy. He'd be a senior exec at his pay level in almost any private company and as such is expected to know better. He is the "keeper of the keys" of the OP district for God's sake. And there is even any question about firing him...please spare me, this is a no-brainer.

He has embarassed his community and profession and should be fired immediately.

If the OP school board can't "justify" canning him, then they need to quit & go learn some ethics along with the goofball they hired.

And what kind of loser kid does he have that's 25 and uses daddy's cell phone? Like father like son it looks like in this case (even though we know this is a BS excuse). And if you even fell for his excuses, I've got a bridge to sell.

Another example of incompetence & corruption on the public payroll.
/sigh

[avet]

He cancelled his personal cell phone, uses his school cell phone, and pays the bill anything beyond what the school would pay for. What's stupid about that?
Watch the VIDEO.
They asked the O.P. school board president:
----------------------------------------------
"Who checks the phone bills?"

His Answer:

"NOBODY"

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NO POLICY AND NOBODY CHECKS THE PHONE BILLS

So how is it determined "if" and "when" he is using the phone for "personal" use"?

Is this the same policy (or I should say, "lack of policy") for ALL the cell phones paid for by taxpayers?

YANK THEM ALL. (PERIOD!!)

I don't NOT want to pay for, and think they do not DESERVE "any" of their own personal expenses, PAID FOR BY TAXES, when we are paying them "above average wages",and paying the "above average" numbers of staff members, to RUIN this area, and RUN IT DOWN INTO THE GROUND.

Let's keep rewarding the blatent "incompetance" of all these people , and we'll have nothing but the "best incompitents around" that our tax money can buy.

[Boost Buffalo]

Originally posted by SolarEclipse

I don't really have an opinion on the guy...

As for the credit card... there's no abuse...

The phone... no employer I know that gives out a work cell phone expects it will only be used for business purposes...


Late taxes? Bad thing. But it's a personal issue, not related to his job. Are we firing every person who's late on their taxes? ...

seems all you got is opinions.

How anyone can justify this public abuse and public scandal, by a top official of a children's school no less, is certainly tough to figure.

And the phone wasnt loaned out to his "kid". It was supposedly loaned out to a 25 yr old adult. Is this adult even a dependant of the superintendant? Not that it matters

and Solareclipse, you sound like that morning radio guy with the bad haircut. Is that you?

[300miles]

let's not get so personal with this.


Anyway... the way I see it, with a $140,000 salary this guys should have no problem buying his own personal cell phone, and another one for his son. he also should be able to get his own personal credit card.

There is no reason to be using work items for personal use in his situation. he has an outstanding salary, and the town is paying his rent for him. Why can't he buy his own stuff? He also works 4-days per week and comes in at 10am. Cushy job.

[Boost Buffalo]

Not personal? This continued blatant disrespect for our money by some cronic creep gets very personal.

[avet]

You want cell phones? Buy YOUR OWN, pay for it YOURSELF, and turn in a MONTHLY "ITEMIZED" BILL to determine which calls are "OFFICIAL". YOU, or anyone else (friends, family, strangers, etc,) loose YOUR phone, MISSUSE IT, YOU pay for the sheer "stupidity" , not "someone else" (if not found out by "sheer" luck because NOBODY monitors the calls).

SOUNDS PRETTY HARSH? TOO MUCH HASSLE? TOO FREEKIN BAD !!

YOU abused YOUR "privledge". Like an irresponsible little "child". When a child becomes uncontrolable, do you give them a candy bars? Go buy them a new X-Box ?
Then you deserve what ..."you reap".

.................................................. ........................................
Example from one major, very large, company:

A monthly bill itemizing all phone calls and charges is an acceptable safeguard. A monthly itemization permits the agency to verify which calls are personal and which are official in nature.

To ensure that reimburses only for its use of the employee's equipment, and that it does not reimburse the employee for the employee's cost of the equipment, We will reimburse the costs of the employee's activation plan at an amount no greater than what itself would have paid.

To ensure that we reimburses only for official calls, we will require the employee to submit a monthly bill from the employee's service provider itemizing all calls made that month.

We consider our safeguards adequate to ensure that government resources are applied to official, not personal, use.
.................................................. .......................................

[avet]

Anyway... the way I see it, with a $140,000 salary this guys should have no problem buying his own personal cell phone, and another one for his son. he also should be able to get his own personal credit card.


There is no reason to be using work items for personal use in his situation. he has an outstanding salary, and the town is paying his rent for him. Why can't he buy his own stuff? He also works 4-days per week and comes in at 10am. Cushy job.

W T F

[WNYresident]

Why only 4 days week?

[granpabob]

this guy went after two school board members who just happened to want to hold spending down. the super and his union frends got mad because the board did its job.
now he him self is caught. moving exspenses up to 7000 well it took five hundred to move his things . now they claim the rest can be used for apartment rent .moving cost are moving cost rent is rent they are not the same thing. why would he need 13 weeks free rent as mooving exspenses
it was not his credit card. I dont know what world everyone else lives in but in my world if you use the company credit card for personal use you start looking for a job and receive your court summons
Phones are given out for emergency use.he is the man incharge and the school needs to reach him for any emergency that comes up. by loaning out that link to him he leaves the schools with no leader.
If that 25 year old needs a phone so bad let him buy his own at 25 he should have a job and not need daddy's help anymore or let him use a pay phone they do sill exist.
has anyone questioned how fast he blaimed his son for the calls. this guy must have no trust for his family. he already stated he would not have his own credit card because his family would run up charges. Just like he did. wish we had recordings of those calls My bet is it was not the son (only my thought)

[therising]

The guy made a stupid mistake. That's no reason to fire him.

His son is stupid as well. That's also no reason to fire him.

And, you can't blame him for the fact that the school board didn't monitor the phone. That's the Board's fault, not the Superintendant.

As for the analogy comparing him to a upper level executive - you're sadly mistaken if you think an executive in the private sector would get fired for this.

Some of you people have an unbelievable Mcarthyism Mob Mentality. I can picture you wielding bats round your head at the town square screaming for a lynching.

I'd like to see a show of hands from everyone who has NEVER made a stupid mistake at work.

[300miles]

there's always a different standard when your in a public position and the money is taxpayer money. If I make a mistake at work it doesn't cost you money.

But even if this was a normal job? If I did the following things:

-come in late every day
-work only 4 days a week
-use my work cell phone as my primary personal cell phone
-lend out my work phone to random strangers
-make calls to Escorts and Porn numbers on my work phone
-regularly use my company credit card for personal purchases
(All while making a hefty salary and getting nice perks like free rent)

Then ... YES, I would be FIRED!

People DO get fired for stupidity.

If he's that stupid.. is he worth $140,000 of taxpayer money? I'm sure there are people with much more common sense than this guy willing to work for half that much and put in a full week (ie. 40+ hours)

Even $70,000 could buy a top notch county limo driver :)

[buffknut]

the rising,

please let me know the company you work for so I can apply for a senior exec job, and do what this guy did, and still keep my job. You can't be serious.

I still find it hard to believe anyone can defend this guy. He should be fired. If the board can't do it, they should all resign for having hired him, and having allowed ineffective policies to remain in effect that don't allow for immediate unpaid dismissal.

The taxpayers of OP should be embarrassed and demanding his firing.

Where did they find this guy? OP is a pretty big district and wealthy too. This is the best their search could find? How big could his previous district have been?

What a disgrace. But if this is what OP wants for leadership, I guess they should keep him. I'm sure his little boy can help him with 1st grade reading comprehension.

/sigh

[avet]

Why only 4 days week?

I can't even 'begin" to do ANY math.

4 DAYS A WEEK

HOW MUCH VACATION TIME ?

HOW MANY PAID OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS ?

HOW MANY PAID SICK DAYS ?

HOW MANY HOURS A DAY ACTUALLY AT WORK ?


I'd venture a "guess" that he's actually working LESS THAN 150 DAYS A YEAR.
We BETTER keep raising them school taxes "EVERY YEAR" !

Is it easier to just ask "what he DOES pay for out of his OWN POCKET, rather than what the taxpayers are paying for?

[therising]

Originally posted by avet
I can't even 'begin" to do ANY math.

4 DAYS A WEEK

HOW MUCH VACATION TIME ?

HOW MANY PAID OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS ?

HOW MANY PAID SICK DAYS ?

HOW MANY HOURS A DAY ACTUALLY AT WORK ?
\?

How about trying to stick to the subject? He broke the cell phone rule. Period. The vacation time, holidays, sick days, etc are part of his package. You can't criticize the man for accepting they job they offered him.

and Buffknut - No, you would not get fired for this at my company. You'd get a warning.

[avet]

I'd venture a "guess" that he's actually working LESS THAN 150 DAYS A YEAR.
$140,000 a year ?

That's approx $1000.00 a day !

We need to reimburse this man for moving fees?

Pay for his rented apartment? Cell phone?

He can't pay his own taxes on time, yet he manages a school? What is it with almost EVERY OTHER single person who makes SIX FIGURE SALARIES NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES on time ?

It either shows a complete lack of "responsible money management" or "I make so much money, who gives a sh** about a measily little fine", or both.

Too busy to pay it, you say? When he only works less than HALF THE YEAR ?

[avet]

The vacation time, holidays, sick days, etc are part of his package.

ALL these "packages" aren't "KILLING" US FINANCIALLY ?

Oh, that's right! It's just MEDICAID, MEDICAID, MEDICAID, MEDICAID,MEDICAID,......

STUPID poor people, why don't they just "all" get a job with a "package" like this guy!

Who manages Medicaid? People with "PACKAGES".

[WNYresident]

We should email fox new oreilly.. i bet he would pick up on the issue perhaps. Local superintendant goes wild.. :)

[WNYresident]

You konw how we solve this issue... just ge ta list of times called and if theres a mixture of real called between the porno calls it sort of shows he had the phone in his posession. Doesn't it? THen his 25 year old son is off the hook...

[300miles]

i do agree with therising that you don't blame the employee for the perks they get. If benefits like salary, vacation, etc are out of line it's the school board's fault for making it available, not the employee's fault for taking it.

I mean if my company suddenly offered to triple my salary and let me work 4-day workweeks, then hell I'd take it.

The criticizm of the superintendant himself should not be about his perks... but whether he abused them.

The criticizm of the perks themselves should be directed at the school board. They made them available in the first place and authorized it.

[SolarEclipse]

An Orchard Park resident called into Sandy Beach's show yesterday claiming that she had seen the phone records and that calls were also made during school hours. If that's the case... all bets are off, I'd fully back kicking the guy out. THAT is evidence enough of wrongdoing that can't be as easily explained away.

[therising]

Originally posted by SolarEclipse
An Orchard Park resident called into Sandy Beach's show yesterday claiming that she had seen the phone records and that calls were also made during school hours. If that's the case... all bets are off, I'd fully back kicking the guy out. THAT is evidence enough of wrongdoing that can't be as easily explained away.

Even if it his son/son's friend? I suppose you could make the point of 'why doesn't he have the phone with him during school hours?". I'd buy that.

[tax2death]

I don't understand how anyone can defend this man. He is responsible for teaching the youth of Orchard Park to be responsible adults. Either as a man has has failed to do so, or as a father he has failed to do so. Although he has laid the blame at the feet of his child ( which I doubt), he would have sent a better example if he accepted responsabilty himself. Maybe it should be another thread, but I see nothing wrong with holding all people to a higher standard than what we have been witnessing. SWNY got rid of a lousy self professed lawyer from Ohio just for being annoying, why can't we releave a superintendant of schools for setting a bad example

[granpabob]

dont like the package but he is gone with a lot less cost then we expected. apartmernt sold, office empty and resignation accepted, now they can let Joan thomas finally get the job she should have had in the first place