Ex-Clerk Formally Resigns

A former Springs School District clerk who is suing the district claiming she was the victim of a hostile work environment has formally resigned from her primary position as the superintendent’s secretary.

Fran Silipo, who had been the secretary since 1999, had been on an unpaid medical leave since Oct. 29, 2015, when she suffered a stroke, which affected the right side of her body. It happened two days after Ms. Silipo filed a notice of claim that she intended to sue the school district, saying she had suffered “extreme emotional and psychological stress” resulting from “a hostile work environment.”

Ms. Silipo lost her district clerk post without notice last summer, after receiving the appointment every year for the previous 13 years. In July, the Springs School Board appointed a different district clerk in a 4-1 vote that followed a lengthy executive session. Ms. Silipo was still employed as the secretary to the superintendent, John J. Finello, after that, but she later said working conditions deteriorated quickly.

She could not be reached for comment this week. Word of her resignation brought public speakers to the podium at Monday’s school board meeting.

“It’s a big loss to our school community, and I hope this speeds her recovery,” Ilaine Bickley, a second-grade teacher at the school, said.

Mary Jane Auceri, a Springs resident, agreed. “I think it’s a great loss for the school district of a person who was able to fill many different hats, affected many families, and always did so with a smile, extreme honesty, and effectiveness.”

Tatiana Tucci, a former Springs School bilingual clerk who herself is involved in a lawsuit against the district, also lamented Ms. Silipo’s resignation. “Moving forward, when you find someone who is good, honest, and willing to give their best, appreciate that person and treat them with respect,” Ms. Tucci said.

Liz Mendelman, the school board president, said district officials could not comment on matters related to employees. The board formally voted to accept Ms. Silipo’s resignation on Monday.