Austintown board mum on closed session

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

An internal investigation into allegations made during an October Austintown Board of Education meeting has ended without the results being released.

The board had a special session Monday morning at its South Raccoon Road offices.

The agenda said the meeting was to “be a discussion with regard to employment of personnel.”

The investigation in question began after board member Harold Porter and schools Superintendent Vincent Colaluca filed complaints against each other with Austintown police last fall.

A statement released by board President Kathy Mock on Monday afternoon said there was an investigation into the matter. The allegations, the investigation and the findings were unavailable Monday.

According to The Vindicator’s media partner, 21 WFMJ-TV, the board says the matter is officially closed and no action is being taken. The board also would not reveal who conducted the investigation or its cost.

Porter voted not to go to executive session and was asked to leave during the closed session.

He said he is meeting with his attorney to talk about whether the meetings should be open to the public. Colauca didn’t speak on the matter and said for all questions to be directed to Mock.

In October, Colaluca filed a police report after a board member told him Porter made threatening comments after an Oct. 22 board meeting. At that meeting, Colaluca told the board he felt he was being bullied by Porter.

Porter told police he walked over to another board member and told that board member, “You better tell him [Colaluca] to stop or I’m going off on him!”

Porter then told police he had no intention of doing anything physical toward Colaluca. Porter was never charged.

Phone messages left for Mock and school district attorney Eric Johnson were not returned.