H. Rose Schneider reports in The Altamont Enterprise that the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school district has many relatives of people in positions of power working under them. School Board President Matthew Tedeschi’s daughter and son-in-law work for the school system. Superintendent Timothy Mundell’s sister does too, and board member Nathan Elble’s wife also has a job there. At its Dec. 11 meeting, the board first created the position of “Personnel Assistant 1,” and then voted to appoint the school board president's wife Maria Tedeschi to the job with an annual salary of $45,000. Board member Helen Lounsbury said that the board did not post the job opening or conduct candidate interviews. “This leads to the district open to serious questions as to whether or not we’re an equal-opportunity employer,” she said. Board member Mundell said Tedeschi is an excellent candidate for the job. Knox Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis, a former school board member, then said from the gallery, “Who are you comparing the candidate to? You haven’t interviewed or posted.” Board member Kimberly Lovell voted on that measure and others at the meeting illegally, through a Facetime app from her home. New York State’s Open Meetings Law reads, “A public body that uses video conferencing to conduct its meetings shall provide an opportunity to attend, listen, and observe at any site at which a member participates.” Lovell was at home, and did not invite the public to attend the meeting at her house. Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.