Rochester City School District's Chief Financial Officer, Carleen Pierce, has been placed on administrative leave and is expected to leave her position within days, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. This development adds further complexity to the district's already challenging budget season.
To navigate the budget process, the district has brought on Vern Connors, its former budget director, as an administrative substitute. However, the district's initial budget proposal, which was developed under Pierce's supervision, was rejected by State Monitor Shelley Jallow.
According to one source, Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small is responsible for placing Pierce on administrative leave. The source alleges that Pierce is being used as a scapegoat for the budgeting issues and claims that this is retaliation for her sexual harassment allegations. The source also claims that Pierce's requests for meetings to address the budget problems were ignored.
On September 16, it was reported that a sexual harassment complaint had been filed against Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small. Our source now reveals that the person behind the complaint is allegedly Carleen Pierce, the CFO of RCSD. The source confirms that an incident took place during a retreat at East High School, where witnesses observed Myers-Small touching Pierce's breast and making inappropriate comments about her appearance. The source further alleges that a superior witnessed this incident and that Pierce was pressured to file the complaint.
Carleen Pierce has been serving as the Chief Financial Officer of RCSD since August 10, 2020, after serving as an interim CFO since 2015. She has been featured in Spectrum News discussing the financial challenges faced by the district during the pandemic. Pierce's responsibilities include managing the finances of the city schools and East High School EPO, and she understands the importance of rebuilding trust in the district through transparent financial communication.
The allegations against Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small are currently being investigated by the law firm Woods Oviatt Gilman, which has been retained by the district. Board President Van White has acknowledged the allegations and stated that outside counsel has been hired to conduct the investigation.
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