Direct of Manns Flashcards
Where do you currently reside?
I live at 250 Harriman Way in Poseidon, New York.
How old are you?
I’m 57 years old.
Can you briefly describe your educational background?
I graduated from Athena High School in 1985. I then earned my bachelor’s of science degree from SUNY Poseidon in 1989.
What did you do after graduation?
I began my educational career as a ninth-grade history teacher at my Alma Mater, Athena High School! I worked in the school district for 35 years.
Did you do anything else while teaching History at Athena High?
During the 1990s, I attended classes part-time at Cornell University, where I eventually earned my doctorate in educational administration in May of 1999.
Were you a teacher the entire time you were employed by the school district?
No. In 2004, the assistant superintendent for finance and personnel retired, I applied for the position and ended up getting it
What were your responsibilities as an assistant superintendent?
I was in charge of overseeing the district’s budget, and I saw a lot of excessive spending, so I pledged to reign in some of this abuse.
Did you have any other jobs apart from teacher and administrator?
Yes. In 2006, the superintendent decided to retire, so I applied for the position and ended up getting it
What was your approach to the job as Superintendent?
I was largely in charge of managing the budget for the Helios School District. I’ve done my best to fairly distribute funds to all the schools in the district.
During your time as superintendent, what other positions did you pursue?
Well in 2015, a parent from Athena High school proposed that I should run for office in the Chronos Country Legislature with his financial support, so I decided to give politics a try.
And how did that go?
Thanks to the help of many devoted donors and volunteers. I was fortunate enough to win election to the Chronos County Legislature over a in 2016, and since it only demanded a part-time commitment, I continued to simultaneously serve as the superintendent of The Helios School District.
How long did you serve as County Legislator?
Well, I was reelected fir another 4 years in 2020. After that, several of my supporters asked that I consider seeking higher office.
I want to direct your attention to the autumn of 2021.
What if anything happened at Athena High School at that time related to you and the Computer Science Club?
In September 2021, right after my reelection, members of the Computer Science Club at Athena High School started creating and posting juvenile graphics of me.
I now want to direct your attention to one year later, in September 2022
What happened at this time?
Well, in September of 2022, the local New York State Senator announced that he would not seek reelection at the end of his term in December 2024. I had some polling done and felt confident about my chances, so I set out to campaign vigorously for the 2024 election
As a result of your candidacy for State Senator, what if anything did you do?
Because campaigning for the State senator position was so rigorous, I informed the Helios School district that I would unfortunately have to retire from my position of Superintendent effective on July 31, 2023.
I want to direct your attention to your responsibilities as superintendent for the budget of the 2023-2024 academic year.
What if any decisions did you recommend regarding the budget for Athena High School?
The Athena High Computer Science Club was a casualty of the budget cuts for that year, which I recommended to further the goal of saving money for the district.
Why did you recommend cutting the funds for the computer science club?
Funds were scarce for the upcoming year, and I didn’t think that the Computer Science Club wasn’t using their funding responsibly or positively
While you were Superintendent, did you come to know the defendant, Mr/Ms. Townes?
Yes, he/she was a student at Athena High School and was the President of the school’s Computer Science Club.
In June of 2023, what if any interactions did you have with the defendant?
I had an unpleasant meeting with Townes in June 2023 upon his/her request regarding the defunding of the computer science club.
What happened at this meeting?
He/she told me how important the Computer Science Club was to him/her, and the school itself. I explained my position, and I also asked if he/she knew who was responsible for producing the disturbing graphics made about me.
And what happened next?
I told Sandy that there will no funding for the CSC on my watch
How if at all did Townes respond?
She then said to me “I’m sorry you feel that way, a lot of students are being hurt by your actions and situations like this don’t always end well!”
I now want to redirect your attention to your run for State Senator
Please tell us what happened during your campaign for State Senator?
The campaign started on August 5, 2023 and it seemed to be going great. Everything I had worked so hard for was finally right in front of me. Suddenly, it all came crashing down
What happened?
On April 1, at around 1:00 PM, a video was posted on the site RIC ROC appearing to show me, ME, accepting a 50,000 dollar bribe from a building contractor
