After receiving a list of specific questions at last week's board meeting from residents regarding a special investigation of the district by the state Auditor General's Office and a lawsuit filed by two administrators, Reynolds school directors provided answers Thursday.

Jeffrey Colson, a former board member, presented the list of questions on behalf of concerned citizens at the Sept. 27 meeting regarding allegations against Superintendent Dr. Charles M. Cagno.

The allegations are listed in a lawsuit filed by Joseph Torok Jr., junior/senior high school co-principal, and Dr. Martin Friedman, school psychologist, claiming they were demoted for suspected involvement in the special investigation by the Auditor General.

The questions centered around alleged sexual misconduct or harassment by an administrator; advertisement of the position eventually filled by junior-senior high school Co-Principal Ronald Bradley and the district's technology coordinator and computers.

The board was unable to comment on the pending lawsuit due to legal reasons.

The collective statement of the evening seemed to be "We want to know what's going on in the district," as several audience members, citing rumors, demanded answers from the board. They also said they were there because of their children and they wanted everything cleared up so education could continue.

The board provided a printed list of answers to Colson's questions, which Board President Ralph E. Jones read aloud.

Jones revealed three audits -- a special education audit, a regular audit and the OSI audit, initiated by anonymous complaints -- were conducted by the state Auditor General's Office earlier this year.

On Aug. 14 the board received preliminary findings from the OSI audit and was asked to provide a response, which it did in the form of a letter addressed to Cagno informing him of his wrong-doing and reprimand.

Jones also explained board members' roles involving employee discipline, which was related to Colson's question about alleged inappropriate sexual behavior or harassment by an administrator. Jones said board members should not investigate reports of employee misconduct. Board solicitor Joseph Valentino, who is Cagno's cousin, compared board members to judges in this situation, explaining that they needed to be impartial in this kind of matter and therefore could not get involved in it themselves.

"You can't go to a judge and present any evidence ... without the presence of the other side. The judge has to recuse himself," Valentino said.

Valentino also said the district has no tolerance of sexual harassment and that every complaint of this nature has been dealt with.

Director Beth Schuffert told Colson he had taken an "honorable position" by speaking for the citizens, drawing applause from the crowd, but said his question about sexual misconduct "disturbed" her. After she began questioning him on the matter, Director Maddox Stokes said it was not the practice of the board to grill members of the audience, drawing further applause and shouts of agreement from the audience.

Jones said the position filled by Bradley, who previously worked with Cagno in the Valley Grove, Venango County, School District, was not advertised but there were multiple candidates for the job. He said the district has many job applications on file and it is common practice for the board to fill positions without advertising.

In response to questions about Technology Coordinator Robert Gregg and computers in the district, Jones said Gregg, Cagno's son-in-law, was working for Stargate Computers when he was hired. Since August 1999 the board has purchased 176 computers, 83 with state and federal grant money. Jones explained the computers, purchased from Stargate, were bid on but not in the usual sense. He said Stargate submitted equipment bids to the state to become a state-approved source. The state selection process eliminates lengthy bidding processes and provides "favorable, high-volume, state negotiated pricing for goods and services." Jones said Stargate is a widely used supplier and that Greenville, Sharpsville and Mercer school districts have recently purchased Stargate computers.

Jones said it has been 17 weeks since the district changed its Internet provider and that Internet access at the elementary school was interrupted during the process. The elementary library now has half of its computers on-line and the library and computer lab will be completely on line by the end of the week.

He said 150 additional high school computers should have Internet access by Thanksgiving.

"The board is aware that there has been some disruption of computer services this fall. These disruptions are the result of taking some giant steps forward in terms of district-wide networking and dramatically increasing the speed and number of Internet connections. We ask for your continued cooperation and understanding in this area," Jones read from the board's statement.

As for Colson's question last week about whether or not the district's smoking policy has changed, Jones said it hasn't. Jones said it is not appropriate for administrators to be seen smoking on school grounds by students and that it is appropriate for students to report anyone smoking on school grounds.