Southampton superintendent’s lawyer denies misconduct allegations
Scott Farina, right, the superintendent of the Southampton school district, speaks to a crowd gathered at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton on Nov. 12, 2014. Southampton school district president Heather McCallion is at left. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
A lawyer for the Southampton school superintendent said Friday that misconduct allegations made against his client are untrue, attributing a district investigation to “unsubstantiated claims by an ex-girlfriend.”
Southampton school board president Heather McCallion said in a statement released Thursday the board had hired an attorney to look into claims of misconduct made about superintendent Scott Farina.
McCallion did not elaborate on what those allegations were or where they came from, citing privacy laws, but said the “process will be completed in the next few weeks.”
Steven Politi, a Central Islip-based attorney representing Farina, told Newsday on Friday that his client was not guilty of any wrongdoing, and attributed accusations of misconduct to a former girlfriend.
“We have denied all rumors and allegations in the past and will once again deny that any of the allegations have any truth to them whatsoever,” Politi said. “We are confident that as time passes and the district continues to do its due diligence Dr. Farina’s good name will be completely restored and he will be exonerated.”
Several board members did not respond Friday to requests for comment or declined further comment.
A spokesman for state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli confirmed Friday that an audit of the district is also underway. He would not say whether the audit was part of the routine audits that the comptroller’s staff conducts throughout the year or sparked by any recent developments.
The school district’s assistant superintendent for business informed the board in December that the comptroller would be conducting an audit, according to a spokeswoman for the district.
