BRADDOCK, Pa. — A heated and emotional special meeting unfolded at the Woodland Hills School District on Wednesday night as board members voted to change the status of Superintendent Dr. Joe Maluchnik from paid administrative leave to unpaid leave.
During the meeting, tensions surfaced as community members and board members voiced strong opinions about the situation.
“I don’t recognize this district the way it’s being run,” said Tara Reis.
In a 4 to 2 vote with one abstention, the board approved the change to Maluchnik’s leave status.
“The board denies the allegations set forth in the superintendent’s recent public statement,” the district’s solicitor, Matthew Racunas, said during the meeting.
Maluchnik, who was hired in January 2025, was placed on paid leave late last year.
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That leave was later temporarily changed to military leave before reverting back to administrative leave nearly two weeks ago.
More than a dozen people attended Monday night’s meeting to voice their concerns.
At least three spoke in support of Maluchnik and criticized the board’s decision.
“I’m so disheartened about the vote,” said Reis during public comment.
Reis also questioned the circumstances surrounding the superintendent’s leave.
“All he was doing was questioning some of the financial aspects of the construction projects and all of a sudden, he’s out on leave,” she said.
The school board previously launched an internal investigation into allegations of sex discrimination and harassment involving Maluchnik.
His attorney says the superintendent strongly denies the accusations.
In a statement, the attorney wrote that recent claims about Maluchnik’s prior employment are “false and deeply misleading.” The statement adds that beginning in September 2025, Maluchnik raised concerns about what his attorney described as questionable fiscal practices, including large administrative buyouts and unusual contracts.
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Meanwhile, one school board member who said she was wrongly named in the report raised concerns about the handling of the investigation and the vote.
“We were told initially by the solicitor he had worked with the investigator in the past and then later we found out they had been working together at least since April of last year,” said school board member Darnika Reed.
The school board also clarified Monday night that an audit to review district finances has not yet started.
Maluchnik now has 30 days to respond to the board’s decision and can request a hearing.
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