Investigation into Geneva School Superintendent Patricia Garcia finished, but no action yet by Board of Education

“We are not able to make any public statement at this time as the process is still ongoing,” district spokeswoman Heather Swanson said Wednesday in an email to the Times. “The board is committed to sharing more information as soon as they are able to do so.”

While the contents of the investigation by Mark Pettitt have not been divulged, some details have emerged.

According to documents released by the district under the state’s Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL, Pettitt began the investigation, which was ordered by Board of Education, on Sept. 29. Pettitt provided a final draft in a meeting with the school board Nov. 22.

Pettitt billed the district $17,828 for work that spanned 24 days. He billed $1,000 for full days and $500 for half-days, his invoice indicates. The invoice did not outline how many hours a full or half-day constituted.

The investigation included phone, Zoom, and in-person interviews. On three occasions, interviews with specific people are redacted from the records.

Sources told the Finger Lakes Times last year that Garcia berated staff in hallways and in front of fellow workers routinely. In meetings, she is accused of humiliating staff. In classrooms, she allegedly undermined the authority of teachers in front of their students, including a case where she berated a teacher conducting a remote course before taking over class instruction.

A high turnover rate among administrators and other staffers also was reported.

Garcia told the Times she had “difficult conversations in our administrative meetings” that required “open, honest communication with each other.” And, she said districts across the country have experienced high turnover rates.

Garcia continues to be on paid leave during the investigation, while Kathleen Davis is overseeing the district as acting superintendent.