Oct 8, 2008 12:34 pm US/Eastern
Panel Rules Carvalho's Appointment "Unethical"
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Miami-Dade school superintendent Alberto Carvalho as he prepares to accept the position of superintendent.
CBS
Another possible set back as Miami Dade School Board members prepare to meet to vote the contract of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
During a special Ethics Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday the panel determined that Carvalho's appointment to the Superintendent's job was unethical since the public was never given a chance to weigh in on the matter.
"I think it sends a powerful message to the Board and to our community that things should be done transparently and that the Board has a responsibility to make sure that the process is as clean as possible," said School Board member Dr. Marta Perez.
They also recommended that the School Board come up with a new process to appoint a Superintendent.
The special meeting was called after a complaint was filed by Charles Viscito who claimed the School Board violated the state's open-meetings laws when it appointed Carvalho as the new Superintendent only hours after ending the contract of Rudy Crew on September 10th.
"The original complaint was proper process in terms of the notification to the public of the nomination and selection on September 10th," said Viscito.
On Friday, School Board attorney Luis Garcia issued an opinion saying the board didn't violate state open-meetings laws when it hired Carvalho.
The ethics panel was also concerned about integrity issues after allegations surfaced that Carvalho had a romantic affair with a former Miami Herald education reporter while he was a School Board member.
Despite recommending that the School Board delay ratifying Carvalho's contract until the ethics issues can be resolved, the ethics panel has no power to enforce its recommendation with the school district.
The School Board is set to vote on Carvalho's $275 thousand a year, 3 year contract on Friday.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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