EXCLUSIVE: Complaints Filed Over Comments, Actions Of Pennsbury Superintendent, Documents & Sources State

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LevittownNow.com’s investigative reporting has been supported in part by funding from In The Know Club members. 

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A culture of worry and fear of retaliation have permeated throughout the Pennsbury School District’s top administrators in recent months.

The problems are rooted in what at least six sources, who wish to remain unnamed due to worries of retaliation, have said stems from the actions and management style of Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula.

At least four U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints have been filed relating to the problems in the district. The complaints have been lodged by administrators and could lead to lawsuits against the district.

The EEOC employs investigators that look into reports of violations of civil rights laws and discrimination in the workplace. The agency can work to settle claims or file litigation.

A copy of Director of Special Education for Pennsbury Sherri Morett’s EEOC complaint was leaked to a LevittownNow.com reporter recently.

When contacted about the leaked copy of the EEOC complaint, Morett confirmed she had filed a complaint, but she declined to comment further or reveal additional information.

Director of Pupil Services Elizabeth Aldridge also was said to have filed an EEOC complaint. When reached for comment, she confirmed she did file an EEOC complaint that involved retaliation, but she did not wish to comment further.

Confirmation on the exact details of the other complaints filed by two male administrators were not entirely clear, but sources said they both involved Gretzula.

The complaint obtained by this news organization alleges that Morett has been “subjected to retaliation” for reporting incidents involving Gretzula using “racist and homophobic language” to the school board.

“I was not the only person who wrote a letter complaining about Dr. Gretzula. Shortly after complaining, Dr. Gretzula gathered the staff together and told us that people were complaining about his comments but that he would not be silenced and that he would silence those whom complained against him,” Morett wrote in her complaint.

During an April 2018 “investigation” by an outside contractor, Gretzula was allowed to stand outside his office by the door while Morett was being interviewed inside, Morett claims.

The EEOC complaint notes the investigation by the contractor found Gretzula did not commit wrongdoing. However, a number of sources LevittownNow.com spoke with said the investigation was not handled properly.

Morett alleges that Gretzula spoke to the school board about firing her and “restructured my position and placed me in a different group.” The document goes on to state her salary was reduced and she now has less responsibilities.

Sources that spoke to this news organization clearly recalled Gretzula using the pejorative term “bow-tied f—–t” when recounting a story about when he was bullied as a child. They stated he used the term and did not mention the slur as being inappropriate.

Staff members during and after the meeting, according to the sources, were shocked by the language and concerned Gretzula did not apologize, especially because there was a gay administrator in the room.

Morett’s claim outlines an instance where “Dr. Gretzula forced the staff to participate in an activity that had us disclose the race, disability, and sexual orientation of ourselves and our loved ones. This activity did not feel right but continued over the following months,” Morett wrote.

Sources also corroborated the claim in Morett’s documents that stated Gretzula took part in an exercise with staff that made them feel uncomfortable due to it breaking down those in attendance by race, disability, and sexual orientation, which are not equivalent.

There is also a growing concern that those who have complained are being targeted more and more for speaking out, including worries over software installed on district-owned devices that may track use.

Staff in the district’s central office in Fallsington said there have been multiple documented complaints filed about Gretzula’s conduct.

Several sources said Gretzula’s management style has caused what one administrator referred to as “chaos” in the central office.

Gretzula has, according to staff, not held administrator-wide conferences to discuss issues within the district in recent months and is slow to respond to requests for action. Sources who spoke for this article said his management style has led to dysfunction among the top leadership and made day-to-day management hard.

One administrator said the district is only functioning at such a high level due to the professionalism of staff. A school board member made a similar comment and mentioned a worry that a further breakdown could happen.

Members of the school board, according to multiple sources, know of the problems and complaints.

In response to a detailed list of questions sent to the district and Gretzula, Pennsbury said that the school system “does not comment on statements made by unnamed sources.”

“The District does not comment on personnel matters. The District does not comment on litigation that may or may not have been filed. The District has not received any credible claims of retaliation against District administrators and is working with insurance counsel to respond to any other claims through established administrative procedures. The District will respect that process,” the statement further read.

Gretzula did not directly reply to the detailed questions sent via email.

Numerous school board members said they were not able to comment on the allegations. Some cited a communication from the district solicitor that advised them about commenting on personnel issues and potential litigation.

School board member Debra Wachspress said she was “disturbed that the information has made it to the press,” but she politely declined to say anything further.

School Board President T.R. Kannan, who recently took the leadership role after Jacqui Redner’s tenue, did not return a call for comment.

The school board, Gretzula, and the district top administrators oversee a $207 million budget that involves about 1,000 employees and more than 10,000 students.

The school board has been shattered into factions since summer over whether Gretzula, who earns $176,683 per year, should be offered a new five-year contract to extend his stay at the district. As of earlier this month, the board stated Gretzula has withdrawn from contract talks and will end his run as superintendent by June 30, 2019.

Gretzula, a longtime educator and administrator, was hired by the school board in May 2016 and began his job in July of that year. His contract was for three years.

In the past. Gretzula worked as a teacher in the Neshaminy School District and an administrator in the Bensalem School District and Upper Dublin School District in Montgomery County. He also was a candidate to lead the Neshaminy School District in 2012.

In addition to a group of board members who have voiced their support for Gretzula, members of the public have shown up in force to support him, citing his attendance at school events and overseeing a new teachers’ contract. Recently, a Save Gretzula Facebook page was started and groups of parents have rallied to support him. A petition has also been spread online.  

Much of the information detailed in this article has not been made public before and has not been disclosed at school board meetings. However, several board members have made innuendos about problems during their comments at meetings since September.

The Pennsbury School Board is slated to meeting Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. inside Fallsington Elementary School.

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