Shamokin Area's sting a success? Hardly

Published: September 5, 2010

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As explained in a story in this edition, Shamokin Area School District deemed its now well-known memo "sting" a success, but the facts do not support that conclusion.

Launched at the advice of a law firm last fall, the sting was intended to stop the leak of confidential information the district and majority of the school board suspected was coming from Rosalie Smoogen, an employee in the administration office.

Ironically, an arbitrator's report filed in the aftermath of Smoogen's challenge of her two-day suspension without pay - which was reduced to one day without pay - bears out, in our analysis, that she did not leak any pertinent information in the two key cases described in the report.

In fact, in both instances, the information that board member Tracey Witmer allegedly "suspiciously" obtained from Smoogen was instead made available to every board member.

Perhaps some of Smoogen's actions - or even her attitude - made her a target. But when this 31-year district employee heard the conclusion that the district's sting had been successful and the targeted employee reprimanded, she must have been devastated.

The sting was successful only in that it led to Smoogen's suspension - but that discipline seem bogus at best.

Where is the administration and board's smoking gun as to their central allegation that Smoogen "leaked" personnel information? There is none.

Not only does Smoogen appear by all accounts to be innocent of leaking information, her reprimand came about because, very clearly, she refused to bend the rules of her job. Asked to void a check without having it in her possession, she refused, citing standard procedure. Her actions were not born out of insubordination or lack of respect for district rules. In fact, the opposite appears true.

If there's more to the district's story than we know, it wasn't revealed in the arbitrator's report, which was based on an in-depth investigation of the matter. With that, it's almost laughable that the sting was deemed a success. However, it's really not funny at all.

If suspicion of disregard for district policy arises in the future, Shamokin Area administrators and school board majority may want to consider something other than an ill-conceived scheme to entrap a long-time employee and fellow board member. Otherwise, they risk finding themselves on the receiving end of the sting.

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