The Hudson County Schools of Technology Board of Education appointed Director of Planning, Research, and Evaluations Dr. Joseph Sirangelo the acting superintendent of schools, with Trustee Joe Cossolini named acting board secretary during a tumultuous time.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The motion to vote on Sirangelo was made by Trustee Monica Fundora, a Guttenberg councilwoman, and seconded by Arthur Pettigrew, the Harrison BOE vice president, and the appointment was unanimous (8-0), with Trustee Adam Parkinson, a West New York commissioner, absent (he arrived late).
“I just want to address the fact that Dr. Joseph Sirangelo is the acting superintendent of schools effective today as of … about a minute or so ago has reviewed this agenda with the business administrator and the business office, as I understand earlier this week, so this is his agenda,” noted Board Counsel Jonathan Busch.
Pettigrew then made a motion to name Cossolini, the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (POBA) president, acting board secretary, which was seconded by Trustee Denise D’Alessandro, the Hudson County director of roads and public property.
The vote was 7-0(1) with Cossolini abstaining and Parkinson absent.
“Mr. Cossolini will proceed with a couple, one or two I think, board secretary roles as we proceed. Obviously, we’re in a different type of territory in lieu of some of the circumstances we’re presented with tonight, but we’re gonna make do.”
The circumstances Busch referred to revolve around an explosive lawsuit filed by current suspended Board Secretary Joey Muniz, alleging discrimination by the district and an 18-year affair with Superintendent of Schools Amy Lin-Rodriguez, as HCV first reported.
Lin-Rodriguez was suspended once the lawsuit came to light and while she did not attend the meeting, Muniz did, with one of his attorneys in the matter, Stephen J. Edelstein, and his wife sitting on each side of him in the audience.
Outside of Edelstein asking to be heard in closed session, a request that took up all of 15 seconds at the most, there was no public comment before the board went into about an hour-long closed session.
Upon returning, they voted on their consent agenda, which included formalizing the suspensions of Muniz and Lin-Rodriguez.
Muniz’s suspension was approved 8-1, with Trustee Hector Zulueta voting no, while Lin-Rodriguez’s was approved unanimously (9-0).
John, you forget to mention that both Joey’s wife and Amy’s husband are both employed at HCST making well over $100k a year. They also received multiple raises and promotions during those “18 years”.