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Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
An investigative grand jury meeting in Harrisburg last year showed interest in the Pennsbury School District.
Early last autumn, a statewide investigative grand jury was scheduled to meet at the Dauphin County Courthouse to, at least in part, discuss the Pennsbury School District, according to sources.
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It was unclear the exact focus of the grand jury inquiry and the full scope of how it related to the school district, one of the largest in Pennsylvania. No charges or reports related to the district have become public as of February.
State grand juries in Pennsylvania are authorized to investigate potential crimes and their work is secret during the investigatory process. State grand juries are led by prosecutors from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. While state prosecutors and state police often are behind matters heard by the grand jury, other state law enforcement agencies can refer cases.
Under statute, grand jurors are selected at random and serve for 18 months, but they can meet for additional months if authorized. State grand juries often meet once per month.
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The grand jury met after county, state, and federal investigators have talked with a number of people connected to Falls Township and the school district. The township received a subpoena for records dating back at least six years in late summer 2020.
No charges or indictments have been filed related to the investigation. Local enforcement officials have declined comment on the investigation, often citing agency policy.
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“The Pennsbury School District is aware of no grand jury investigation related in any way to the district. There have been no subpoenas or search warrants from any county, state, or federal law enforcement served on or received by the district,” Pennsbury said in a statement in response to questions before publication of this story.
The school district referred to them as “non-existent ‘law enforcement investigations.’”
Amid dealing with the pandemic, the district continues to deal with upheaval and legal problems.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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The district is currently working to find a replacement for Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula, who abruptly announced last September that he would be leaving the district mid-contract and that he has been dealing with “personal medical issues” for months. He did not offer additional information, but he told the public the issue was not life-threatening.
Gretzula, who is in his 50s, stated he plans to retire as a superintendent in Pennsylvania.
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The morning of Gretzula’s announcement last September, he emailed then-Board President T.R. Kannan that he was retiring. He said he sent his retirement letter after “consultation with my wife, financial advisor and attorneys,” according to emails reviewed by this news organization.
A copy of Gretzula’s letter to the school board about his departure was not released.
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“I do plan to continue working in the field of education, but likely in New Jersey,” Gretzula wrote in a separate email to fellow Bucks County superintendents after his announcement.
“It has been part of my family’s plan to retire to the Jersey shore. Kim and I were fortunate enough to purchase a home at the shore this past April which provided a nice respite during the early days of COVID and throughout the summer,” he added.
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Documents from the Cape May County (New Jersey) Clerk’s Office confirm that the Gretzulas settled on a home at the shore last spring.
Gretzula’s upcoming departure comes as Pennsbury is currently embroiled by two lawsuits filed by former technology director Kevin Dorsey and former Fallsington Elementary School Principal Brian Shaffer that allege problems in the district and administration. One lawsuit filed by former administrator Sherri Morett was settled last year and a similar complaint by current administrator did not lead to a lawsuit.
“The District does not comment on ongoing litigation, and will have no further comment on these false claims,” Pennsbury said in a statement when asked about the two ongoing lawsuits.
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While reporting for this story, LevittownNow.com discovered new filings in Shaffer’s case located in the public federal court system. One filing included a redacted 207-page copy of former Pennsbury School Board President Jacqui Redner’s deposition in Morett’s case.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
According to the deposition text, Redner spoke with attorneys under oath via videoconferencing in July 2020.
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Over the past several years, the school district and board have tried to determine the sources for LevittownNow.com‘s reporting on the complaints and lawsuits.
Redner was asked in the deposition and confirmed she was not a source who provided information about the complaints. She was also asked if she knew who the sources were.
“I have no clue,” she said.
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Some of the redacted testimony appears to involve a meeting at district solicitor Michael Clarke’s office.
Redner, who resigned from her seat when she moved in 2019, spoke of reports by Dr. Joseph O’Brien, of the Chester County Intermediate Unit. Most of the reports dealt with personnel issues but one investigated allegations of a “kickback” scheme.
Last March, this news organization published an article that the report concluded there were “serious allegations” made, but there appeared to be a lack of proof.
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Pennsbury has sought to conceal the report with the allegations from public view and spent thousands of dollars to keep the taxpayer-funded documents secret.
One person who spoke with investigators last year said FBI and state investigators had what appeared to be a full copy of the report or one that was similar.
“The District denies any allegation of kickbacks in the strongest possible terms. We will continue to follow both the letter and the spirit of the Right to Know Law to ensure that the public has access to public records, and that the School Board has all the information it needs to look into important issues as they may arise, without fear or favor,” the district said in a statement last winter.
O’Brien, according to Redner’s out-of-court testimony, briefed the school board members on his reports.
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“I don’t even know where that even came from,” Redner said of the report featuring the “kickback” allegations.
Redner detailed the drama that surrounded the decision to extend a new contract Gretzula after complaints about him and the district were made.
It is not clear how many, if any, other district officials or school board members were deposed as part of the lawsuits.
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