Altoona suspends code officer for Facebook comment
Campanaro placed on leave for ‘derogatory and insensitive’ reply to Facebook post
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The city has suspended one of its code officers for a "derogatory and insensitive" Facebook comment the officer made Tuesday evening in response to a resident's post about the Altoona Area School District implementing a clear bag policy for sporting events at Mansion Park, according to City Manager Christopher McGuire.
"…you could just prevent Negroes from going," wrote Scott Campanaro, the code officer. "Might seem racist -- but it is not wrong."
McGuire, City Council members and others in leadership were "all appalled" at the comments of the officer, whose city keys, computer and vehicle were taken from him and who was placed on paid leave Wednesday morning in keeping with the city's contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the city's personnel policy, McGuire said.
On its face, Campanaro's comment would seem to violate prohibitions in the city's conduct policy against expressions of racism and against certain uses of social media, according to McGuire.
As a public employee, Campanaro is entitled to a hearing before imposition of final discipline in the matter, based on the U.S. Supreme Court's 1985 Loudermill case, according to McGuire and online sources.
That hearing will take place Tuesday, with Campanaro and union officials potentially arrayed against McGuire, the city's human resources director and Campanaro's department director, according to McGuire.
Following the hearing, McGuire will evaluate the facts of the case before deciding what to do, he said.
Termination is possible, he said.
Employees who are dissatisfied with the results of Loudermill hearings can challenge those results through contractually outlined grievance actions, according to online sources.
The phone at City Hall Wednesday "hasn't stopped ringing" with calls from people "rightfully" angry with what Campanaro wrote, McGuire said late Wednesday afternoon.
There were predictions that the city planned to "sweep it under the rug," but that isn't going to happen, McGuire said.
Many callers appreciated that the city acted as quickly as it did already, McGuire said.
Campanaro's Facebook comment was "egregious," and it isn't "reflective of the men and women who work for the city," McGuire said.
"It undermines everything we're trying to do to make this a better community," he said.
City Council members contacted about the matter declined to speak about Campanaro's comment specifically.
Campanaro didn't respond to an invitation to comment.
McGuire may not consider any prior missteps by Campanaro in imposing penalties following the Loudermill hearing, McGuire said.
In 2016, Campanaro was convicted by a jury of simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment for beating a loud and drunken man with a walking stick.
He received probation, which was more lenient than sentencing guidelines called for, with the judge noting that Campanaro had accepted responsibility for the incident -- and that 33 years had elapsed since a prior conviction.
That was for felony robbery and burglary, felony robbery and misdemeanor burglary in Centre County in the early 1980s.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.