WAYNESBORO, Pa. — Waynesboro Area School District Director Linda Zimmerman has vowed to file defamation charges against fellow board members after she was censured for coming to board meetings while impaired by alcohol at the board meeting this week.
Zimmerman, whose term expires in December 2027, was accused last May, pledged not to use alcohol before board meetings again, then was accused again at the Oct. 27 meeting by a fellow board member who smelled alcohol on her breath.
Zimmerman also serves as chair of the Personnel Committee and said she would seek an attorney, as she defended the accusations during the meeting.
The board adjourned into executive session without announcing the reason during its Tuesday, Nov. 10, meeting, then returned to the high school auditorium where the meeting was held and voted 8-1 to censure Zimmerman. She cast the lone dissenting vote.
A vote of censure is the strongest measure a school board can take among one of its members.
Zimmerman said during the meeting, “First of all, I would like to extend my thanks to all those who have contacted me the last couple of days. Your thoughts and prayers are heartfelt. On the day in question, I seemed to be struggling with what I felt was a major dental problem, which I have been dealing with for the last 3-4 years,” Zimmerman said, referring to the May incident.
“I don’t usually drink wine with lunch, but I did on that day. As it worked out, my husband (dentist Bob Zimmerman) was able to correct the dental problem. I spent one hour from 4 to 5 p.m. in a dental chair with my mouth wide open, and he found no odor of wine on my breath, or alcohol.
“During the board meeting, one unidentified board member said she smelled alcohol on my breath, and the censure states a strong smell of alcohol. I later found out that this board member was Shandra Kraft. After the board meeting, I was ushered to a conference room where I met with Officer Mack Gordon; we talked, and he gave me a choice of taking a breathalyzer test.
“He said he smelled no alcohol, no wine and no indication of intoxication. This is a retired state police officer, trained in such things, I trusted him, and I refused the breathalyzer test. I went on vacation the following week and an emergency executive session of the board meeting was called. I was unable at that point to join the session on Zoom, and I asked for an executive session before this meeting to speak with my fellow board members about this matter. It was denied.
“Now, as it worked out, it just happened. Therefore, the board has proceeded to this censure this evening without giving me a chance to speak. They just gave me an opportunity to speak. Anyway, I will not go in to anymore. The censure states that I agreed not to drink on board meeting days, that is incorrect. I agreed to not have a glass of wine at dinner before board meetings.
“I was just told in this meeting that it was not wine that the board member smelled, but it was alcohol. Ok, which I did not drink. Sometimes I have a beer, but not alcohol. How would you feel if one initially anonymous, unsupported accusation led you to be publicly censured? So, I have been censured this evening, but I will be contacting a lawyer tomorrow citing defamation of character.”
During the public comment session of the meeting, four members of the community spoke. America Brosius brought up her concerns regarding transparency and accountability and the board’s responsibility to communicate effectively with the community.
Robin Biser mirrored the same concerns about accountability and voiced her concern that the board and administration are setting a bad example to future generations by not being transparent.
Deb Rager also shared similar concerns but also recognized that the board and administration have made improvements in communication and taken what she believes are steps towards improving things within the district. She requested that they keep moving forward and do what is best for the district.
Dave Farmer addressed the Personnel Committee and what he believes are violations of the Sunshine Act.
“If a meeting and agenda for personnel committee had been listed, and it had included a mention of initiating of an action against Mr. Pappas (Summitview Elementary Principal Steven Pappas), hypothetically, a member of the public could have seen it, posted the meeting on social media, and some members of the public could have attended. Ensuing discussion could have conceivably have headed all those other actions off at the pass, before the taxpayers were forced to pay out many thousands of dollars for an unnecessary witch hunt.
“Meeting unannounced and off the record as a quorum and taking actions from those secretive discussions, personnel committee egregiously and directly violated Title 65, Chapter 7 of the Pennsylvania code, also known as the Sunshine Act, as well as Title 65, Chapter 11, otherwise known as the Ethics Act. There should be consequences for that, including censuring or resigning of directors.”
