Leechburg Area School Board makes controversial hire, members face backlash

School boards usually get applause for hiring more teachers, but Leechburg Area School District directors are getting public criticism for who they didn’t hire.

During a special voting meeting July 30, the board hired Makenna Goldinger as an emotional support teacher for kindergarten through second grade students.

The vote was 5-3, with board President Ashley Coudriet and School Directors Tom Maxin, Jimmy Feudale, Joseph Lepish and Anthony Townsend voting in favor of the candidate’s hiring, while members Melanie Knight, Candi Stewart and Darius Lovelace voting against it. Board member Andrew Pallus was absent.

Goldinger was hired despite another candidate, Sean Hess, receiving a unanimous recommendation from administrators, according to multiple reports from residents who attended the meeting.

Residents now complain Hess was passed over because he is the son-in-law of school board candidate Neill Brady.

Brady, who won nomination to the board in May, said he feels as though board members acted with an agenda.

“This is a personal quarrel by those five board members against myself, Neill Brady, a 20-year previous board member, and my family, based on the time that I spent on the school board,” Brady said.

Brady served on the school board from 2003 to 2023 and, in May, earned a spot on the Republican and Democrat ballots for November’s election.

Hess said he was offered the position July 29 by Superintendent David Keibler. Hess said he was informed the offer was pending board approval the next day.

“My understanding was that, following the interview process, all members of the hiring committee were in agreement that I was the most qualified candidate for the position,” Hess said in a message to TribLive.

Hess said the hiring committee included three members of the board, including Coudriet, Maxin and Stewart.

“After the board meeting on Wednesday evening, July 30th, I received a call from the superintendent to notify me that, despite the committee’s recommendation, the board voted against my employment, and instead offered the job to another candidate,” Hess said. “I have not been provided with any explanation for the board’s decision, which came as an absolute shock.”

Brady said three district administrators were part of the interview process, and Hess received their recommendation for the position.

“These five board members have set a new precedence for hiring at the LASD, where the school board can reject the selected and most qualified candidates from the hiring process and select their personal preference, even though less qualified,” Brady said.

Board reactions

“Though I was absent from the last school board meeting, I want to make it clear that I do not support the unjust action that was taken,” Pallus said in a social media post. “Board decisions must prioritize the best interests of our students — not personal agendas. It’s time to set aside differences, collaborate and focus on what truly matters: that is, the success and well-being of our students and communities.”

Pallus declined to comment further.

Stewart, a member of the personnel committee, said she and other members interviewed multiple candidates for various position over the past two weeks. She said three final candidates were chosen by administrators.

“All three candidates had the certification required, but only one candidate had nine years of experience,” Stewart said. “This is a position that’s creating a program that has to be built.”

Brady said Hess has years of experience, including assisting in the implementation of an emotional support program for the Pittsburgh Milliones School and working for seven years in emotional support for Pittsburgh Public Schools District.

Goldinger is a 2024 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a bachelor’s degree in education. She did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Stewart said, during the meeting July 30, Maxin, another member of the personnel committee, nominated Goldinger instead of Hess.

“I was upset,” Stewart said.

She attempted to table the motion, suggesting all three final candidates come before the board since there seemed to be doubts about the administrators’ recommended candidate. She said the motion was rejected in a 5-3 vote and the hiring vote commenced.

“I would consider this to be a slap in the face of the administrators as well,” Stewart said.

As soon as the vote finished, Stewart said she left the meeting in anger.

“When qualifications were presented, it was my understanding that the person with the most qualifications was recommended by the personnel committee and administration members including the superintendent, the high school principal and the elementary school principal/director of special education,” Knight said. “For other reasons, the majority of the board decided that wasn’t going to be the case.”

Knight said, when she asked why it wasn’t going to be the case, she wasn’t given a clear answer.

Townsend, Maxin, Feudale and Lovelace did not respond to a request for comment.

Keibler and Lepish declined to comment, both labeling the situation as a personnel matter. Coudriet did not respond to a request for comment.

Leechburg resident and attorney Chuck Pascal labeled the move as a violation of Hess’ First Amendment right of freedom of association.

“They took an adverse action against him because of Mr. Brady’s protected First Amendment activity of opposing the current board majority and running for office, based solely on the mere fact that he is related to Mr. Brady,” Pascal said in an email. “No one should be hired or not hired by a school district based on the political beliefs or activities of their family members. We should be hiring the most qualified person — it should always be about what is in the best interest of our students.”

Coudriet and Feudale did not win nominations for November’s general election and, barring write-in votes, will be replaced by Brady and Danielle Reinke, both of whom won Democrat and Republican nominations in the primary.