Ethics probe chief reports findings against accused school board members Tuesday

ROCHESTER - The Board of Ethics will meet tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall to hear the findings of the ethics investigation concerning school board members Sandra Keans and Karen Stokes.

The meeting will be recorded and made available via video-on-demand, but a statement from the city today was not clear whether or not the hearing would be live streamed.

The complaint against Stokes, filed by fellow Board Member Steven Cusumano, accuses her of "abusive conduct or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of other board members; not practicing civility and decorum in discussions and debate; and demeaning or personally attacking an employee regarding the employee's job performance in public."

The complaint against Keans, also filed by Cusumano, accuses her of disseminating privileged information.

Assistant City Attorney Andrew Kroeckel led the investigation, with the assistance of City of Rochester Compliance Officer Paul Toussaint, the city's former police chief.

The Board of Ethics includes Dan Fitzpatrick from City Council, Sarah Harrington from the school board and John Larochelle from the police commission.

Following tomorrow's meeting, a public hearing will be scheduled during which Kroeckel will present the findings, and the individuals named in each complaint will have an opportunity to respond. While the hearing will be open to the public, no public comment will be accepted.

At the end of the hearing the board will deliberate and determine whether a violation of the City's Code of Ethics has occurred. If a violation is found, the board will issue a formal finding and may recommend additional actions, including possible sanctions. Any findings and recommendations will be referred to the full school board for further action.