Tiff cost Austintown schools $16,175

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

An investigation into allegations made by Austintown Superintendent Vincent Colaluca and board member Harold Porter cost the school district thousands of dollars.

HR On Call Inc. charged district attorneys $16,175.60 for its investigation. The district then reimbursed its attorneys with district funds for the case that found Porter violated board policy, bullied Colaluca and had “conflicting business interests.”

The investigation stemmed from an incident at an Oct. 22 board meeting at which board member Dr. David Ritchie walked Porter out after he and Colaluca exchanged words after the meeting. Ritchie then told Colaluca that Porter said he wanted to “punch [Colaluca] in the face.”

Colaluca filled out a bullying incident report against Porter the next day, which began the investigation.

Also in the report, there was an email in which Colaluca told board members he had been offered the assistant superintendent job with the Mahoning County Educational Service Center for $106,000 a year in May 2012.

That would be only a small raise from his current salary in Austintown, $103,939.81 for the 2013-14 school year.