Newly elected Gateway school director will not serve due to health issues stemming from covid-19

The recently elected James Lomeo does not intend to serve on the Gateway School Board of Directors because of lingering covid issues.

Lomeo won one of four contested seats during a Nov. 2 election, leading a pool of six candidates with 4,209 votes. Shortly after being treated at a hospital, Lomeo wrote to the board on Nov. 29 addressing his inability to take office.

“It is with deep regret I have to inform you I am unable to fulfill the obligations of a school director,” Lomeo said in the letter. “I was recently discharged from the hospital from a medical emergency due to covid-19. I contracted SARS-CoV-2 in mid-November and the disease progressed to a severe state.

“Being a healthy individual, I did not expect to have such a reaction or problem to it. I do have an autoimmune disease, but I don’t believe that increased the severity. Though, I guess it could have.”

Bruce Dice, district solicitor, said the Pennsylvania School Code mandates 10 days for Lomeo to reconsider his decision. If Lomeo is not sworn in during that time, the board will have 30 days to fill the vacant seat.

“There’s a window whereby he could come in and accept the oath of office and take his seat,” Dice said. “Dec. 8 will be the beginning of the 10 days. That takes us out to Dec. 18, which is a Saturday. So, realistically, you’re looking at Dec. 20, which is a Monday.”

Lomeo said he was unsure how long his recovery would take.

“I am dealing with borderline oxygen levels, covid-19 pneumonia and fatigue,” Lomeo said in his letter to the board. “It is hard for me to discuss private matters, but I thought I owed you an explanation.”

In addition to impacted oxygen levels and pneumonia, Lomeo said he has also experienced headaches. These lingering health issues would keep him off the board for several months, which Lomeo called unfair to taxpayers “when there are so many important issues facing Gateway.”

“I am frustrated. I spent a lot of time and money to participate because I thought I could make a true difference,” Lomeo said in an email to the Tribune-Review. “But life is all about timing and sometimes things just don’t work out. All of my successes, personal and business, are because of the friends and nice people in Monroeville/Pitcairn, and it would have been selfish to keep a position open.”

Lomeo, who has a law office in Monroeville, served as mayor of the municipality for six years after running unopposed in a November 2001 election. He cited differences with the council before resigning from office at a meeting in February 2008.

Robin Mungo retained her seat on the school board during a reorganization meeting Tuesday at Gateway High School. She received 3,822 votes in the election, second behind Lomeo. Leslie McBride and Mandal Singh were also seated.

Gary DeLorenzo received 3,092 votes, 64 behind Singh.

Jack Bova, who was sworn in as a director Nov. 9, was voted new board president at the meeting Tuesday. After previously serving on the board from 2018-19, Bova rejoined to fill a vacant seat left by the resignation of the Rev. Scott Gallagher on Sept. 27.

“We are in a strange situation where this board has filled vacancies now multiple times in the last couple of years,” Bova said of Lomeo’s board seat. “Most people who have been paying attention understand that there’s not much in the way of firm directives as to how the board fills the seat. So, the difference is we just had an election that took place a matter of days ago.

“The board, if indeed the time comes to fill this position, will decide whether it’s going to essentially look in large at the community to fill the spot or consider the most recent election as the thing. But we will do that in a transparent, direct and expeditious way to do what’s best for the community.”