Vice president says she lawfully succeeded to Clinton Dale board presidency and demands record correction

A trustee, speaking during public comment at a Clintondale Community Schools board meeting, said she became president automatically after the prior presidents resignation and objected to the current meeting being presided over by anyone else.

"I was vice president, and therefore succeeded to the office of the president for the balance of the term by operation of this policy," the trustee said, citing Bylaw 2405(d) and asking that her objection be entered verbatim into the minutes. She said no lawful removal occurred and warned that adding an acting president as a signatory on the districts checking account creates unnecessary risk: "Authorization over public funds must only rest with lawfully appointed officers."

Legal counsel for the board said a different bylaw, Policy 2405(c), permits a majority of the boards members to remove an officer "with or without cause." Counsel advised the board that the removal provision in 2405(c) applies in situations where the board votes to remove an officer.

The trustee disputed that exchange, saying she was never the subject of a motion to remove her and that a reorganization meeting on Oct. 14 did not include a lawful removal vote. During the back-and-forth she accused colleagues of conspiring to remove her, said she had requested FOIAs for text messages that were refused, and then left the meeting.

The dispute began during agenda approval and resurfaced after closed session, when legal counsel explained the difference between the two provisions. No formal board action resolving the dispute over who is the lawful president was announced on the record at the meeting.

The meeting proceeded after the trustees departure and later included a separate vote on rescinding the districts opt-in to "31aa" funding (see separate coverage). The board adjourned after completing business.

What happens next is unclear from the meeting record: the trustee called for immediate correction of the minutes and financial signatory lists; legal counsel noted the board has a policy mechanism for officer removal by majority vote. The transcript does not show a subsequent, formal vote on the presidency dispute during this meeting.