Emotions Run High in Shouting Match at Wednesday’s School Board Meeting

Shouting Match

Tempers flared during the board-member comments section of Wednesday night’s Baldwin-Whitehall School Board meeting, as board member Martin Michael Schmotzer voiced his personal opinions of former board member John Egger.

Egger in late January, this year, to focus on a new business venture.

“It’s amazing that we have school directors that, when they were here (on the board), they never showed up,” Martin Schmotzer said, “and when they’re not here (on the board), they’re even worse.

“It’s amazing how, in this world, you have to defend lies everyday of your life. I want to just say (that) because John Egger is out there telling people on Election Day (May 17) that I’m going to come back to the school board.

“Well, to the joy of some and to the sorrow of others, I’m not coming back in December. Now, you can applaud that, or you can be sorry. Probably some of you are both ways on that. I made my decision. I don’t need people lying out there, especially people that couldn’t show up at a school board meeting.”

Martin Schmotzer revealed at that “the chances” of him running for re-election to the board “are 50-50 at best.” Indeed, he did not appear on the ballot for school board positions on May 17.

“It’s unbelievable. He (Egger) was a bad school director, and he’s a lousy (unintelligible).”

After that “lousy” quote, multiple members of the meeting’s audience began to voice their displeasure with Martin Schmotzer’s comments. Among them were Susan Stiffey, a contributor to the and the wife of current school board member Kevin A. Stiffey, and Lora J. Kalwarski, a member of the “Better Board” committee who received .

The  opposed the “Better Board” committee in May and will again in November. Martin Schmotzer is not a contributor to the “Lower Taxes and Better Education” committee, but his brother, fellow school board member John B. Schmotzer, is. (Correction: Martin Schmotzer has contributed at least $1,000 to the "Lower Taxes and Better Education Committee." Read .)

Board President George L. Pry attempted to stop the impromptu debate between Martin Schmotzer and several audience members, but shouting continued from both sides.

“Let’s not do that,” Pry said.

Pry also said that commenting about other board members, including former ones, should not be condoned.

“I don’t need lies about me on Election Day,” Martin Schmotzer continued.

“That’s enough,” Susan Stiffey said while other audience members shouted phrases like “Shut up” and “Get off your pedestal” at Martin Schmotzer.

“I’m not talking to you,” Martin Schmotzer said to the audience.

It was not clear exactly whom he was directing that sentence at.

Susan Stiffey asked Pry to silence Martin Schmotzer, but the debate continued.

At that point, Kevin Stiffey stood up from the board table, gestured to Martin Schmotzer and said, “Those aren’t where the lies are coming from.” Kevin Stiffey then pointed to several fellow board members at once; said, “This is where the lies are coming from;” and left the board room.

Kevin Stiffey, a former member of the “Committee to Build a Better Board,” did not receive a Democratic or Republican nomination to appear on the ballot for school board positions in November. Several members of the current B-W School Board are or were members of the “Lower Taxes and Better Education” committee, including Kevin J. Fischer, Laurencine Romack, Diana Kazour and Sam DiNardo Jr.

In addition to John Schmotzer, Pry is also to the “Lower Taxes and Better Education” committee.

Kevin Stiffey and Egger are part-owners of a Minuteman Press location in the North Hills.

As Kevin Stiffey was leaving the board room on Wednesday, Susan Stiffey twice shouted, “You used my children for political gain,” referring to a political mailing that some Baldwin-Whitehall residents received from the “Lower Taxes and Better Education” committee that named the Stiffeys’ sons.

It was not clear exactly whom she was directing those sentences at.

Kevin Stiffey wrote a Baldwin-Whitehall Patch explaining the political mailing that mentioned his sons. (You can view part of that mailing in the photo gallery toward the top of this page.)

New Subject

Susan Stiffey remained in the audience while Martin Schmotzer then changed the subject. Martin Schmotzer motioned for B-W School District Superintendent Dr. Lawrence C. Korchnak to write a letter to the Clairton City School District explaining that Baldwin-Whitehall is not interested in merging with any other school districts.

Martin Schmotzer said that Clairton City did not ask Baldwin-Whitehall to merge with them but that he has heard rumors that B-W is considering a merger. Martin Schmotzer felt that a letter explaining that B-W is not interested in any mergers would quell those rumors.

Fischer said that he did not want to outright dismiss offers to merge with all other school districts at this time and recommended that Martin Schmotzer amend his motion to include only Clairton.

Martin Schmotzer did amend his motion accordingly, but the motion failed anyway, 4-4 (with Stiffey absent).

“You cannot stop vicious people from making vicious lies,” John Schmotzer said. “Whether the letter is sent or not, people can still spread the rumor. I think a public statement by this board tonight in public session pretty much tells the public the way we feel.”

As such, John Schmotzer voted “no” on his brother’s motion. He was joined by “no” votes from Romack, Pry and Nancy Lee Crowder.