Port Chester Board Of Ed President Fired By His Own Board

PORT CHESTER, NY — The Port Chester Board Of Education voted on Wednesday evening to remove School Board President Tom Corbia. The 3-1 decision made during a special seven-minute-long session, at which Corbia was not present, capped a months-long scandal that started after racist social media posts were discovered on accounts linked to the now-dismissed BOE president.

“The hearing on the charges preferred against Trustee Corbia has concluded,” the board said in a statement about the unusual move to dismiss its own ranking member. “And this evening, the Board of Education has made its decision on those charges. Based upon the determination of findings and facts and recommendation of the hearing officer appointed by the board, this was a difficult process for the Board of Education and the Port Chester community.”

The special hearing officer in charge of investigating the allegations had faced public criticism for taking too long to reach a conclusion. The controversy surrounding the disgraced school board president started more than seven months ago when racially tinged social media posts were discovered on his Facebook account. Corbia has publicly insisted that the account in question had been hacked and he was not behind the since-removed offensive posts.

The lone dissenting vote to the motion to remove Corbia came from board member Anne Capeci. She did not, however, exactly offer a full-throated show of support for her embattled former colleague.

“I don’t disagree with everything in the findings but it certainly doesn’t warrant removal from this board,” Capeci told fellow board members. “When you compare Mr. Corbia’s past record in the district as a teacher, as coach, as a community activist and member working with children. I cannot vote for this resolution.”