NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Board of Education began a formal removal process to terminate another buildings and grounds employee, believed to be the sixth this school year.
The Board voted Tuesday to end the probationary period of Louis Apicella as a Painter-Working Foreman, effective June 15, 2018 as a prelude to his termination and criminal referral for time theft.
The move comes days after the arrest of Apicella by the New York State Police on drug charges on May 30th after he was stopped as part of a seat belt crackdown on I-95. The school disciplinary proceedings are unrelated to the drug charges.
“Apicella was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned in New Rochelle City Court on June 8, 2018 on charges on Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree and Criminal Possession of Marijuana in the Fifth Degree, both misdemeanors,” said Westchester County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Helen Jonsen.
As a result of the board action on June 5th, under civil service rules, Apicella was returned to his former position of painter with a corresponding decrease in salary.
A subsequent board resolution, without naming Apicella for confidentiality reasons, suspended “Employee 2017-2018/6” (Apicella) without salary for 30 calendar days effective June 5th.
The board action comes after Apicella, employed by the New Rochelle Board of Education for 17 years, refused to resign on May 25th after he was informed the District had gathered evidence implicating him in time theft.
At a meeting at City Hall, Apicella was shown photographs and given a choice of immediate resignation or termination and a criminal referral to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Apicella sought, and was granted an extension until noon Tuesday the day after Memorial Day. His keys were taken from him and he was told he was barred from school district property.
On Tuesday May 29th, Apicella informed the District he intended to fight the charges against. Apicella will now face an Article 75 hearing. In New York State disciplinary actions against civil servants commence through Civil Service Law Section 75.
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