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WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre Area School District custodian has been suspended with pay and was facing likely dismissal Wednesday, Solicitor Ray Wendolowski confirmed.
Wendolowski declined comment on specifics of the cause for suspension, but said a “Loudermill hearing” had been scheduled Wednesday afternoon. Such hearings are required by law in many cases when a district employee faces termination. They are designed in part to assure the employee has the opportunity to hear accusations and respond to them.
Wendolowski said the district is also preparing for the next step in unrelated disciplinary action against former GAR Memorial High School teachers — a union grievance hearing.
The school board suspended the teachers, then voted to fire them at an April meeting last year. The specifics have never been released by the board, but sources confirmed the teachers were accused of consuming alcohol either before or during a school dance.
At the meeting April 11, 2016, the board voted to terminate five teachers: Corey Brenner, Mollie Evans, Jason Lukachinsky, Jill Wujcik and Glenn Zimmerman. No reason was given, but sources confirmed they were all involved in the alcohol accusations. Grievances were filed on behalf of four of them.