MEZZATESTA WANTS HIS $60,000 JOB BACK

(12/08/2007)

Former head of the education committee of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Jerry Mezzatesta wants back his old job with Hampshire County Schools. He also wants back pay. Mezzatesta has appealed an August 2005 grievance board decision where an administrative law judge found Mezzatesta's actions had "clearly constituted insubordination and willful neglect of duty." Mezzatesta redirected $35,000 in state Department of Education grant money to volunteer fire departments in Hampshire County and broke a promise not to use his legislative post to solicit state grants for Hampshire schools. Denise Spatafore, an administrative law judge, rejected Mezzatesta's request to return to his $60,000-a-year job as a "community specialist" for Hampshire schools, after the board fired Mezzatesta in April 2005. Hampshire County Circuit Judge Donald Cookman recused himself from the case after he had an altercation with Mezzatesta. Spatafore claims Mezzatesta mixed his legislative duties with his Hampshire school board responsibilities. A number of other problems surfaced with Mezzatesta's leadership during his tenure.

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