BRADDOCK, Pa. \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, tensions surfaced as community members and board members voiced strong opinions about the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t recognize this district the way it\u2019s being run,\u201d said Tara Reis.<\/p>\n
In a 4 to 2 vote with one abstention, the board approved the change to Maluchnik\u2019s leave status.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board denies the allegations set forth in the superintendent\u2019s recent public statement,\u201d the district\u2019s solicitor, Matthew Racunas, said during the meeting.<\/p>\n
Maluchnik, who was hired in January 2025, was placed on paid leave late last year. <\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Woodland Hills School District appoints new superintendent<\/a><\/p>\n That leave was later temporarily changed to military leave before reverting back to administrative leave nearly two weeks ago.<\/p>\n More than a dozen people attended Monday night\u2019s meeting to voice their concerns. <\/p>\n At least three spoke in support of Maluchnik and criticized the board\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so disheartened about the vote,\u201d said Reis during public comment.<\/p>\n Reis also questioned the circumstances surrounding the superintendent\u2019s leave.<\/p>\n \u201cAll he was doing was questioning some of the financial aspects of the construction projects and all of a sudden, he\u2019s out on leave,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Parents echo calls for investigation into Woodland Hills School District finances<\/a><\/p>\n The school board previously launched an internal investigation into allegations of sex discrimination and harassment involving Maluchnik.<\/p>\n His attorney says the superintendent strongly denies the accusations.<\/p>\n In a statement, the attorney wrote that recent claims about Maluchnik\u2019s prior employment are \u201cfalse and deeply misleading.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> State officials announce audit of Woodland Hills School District<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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,\u201d said school board member Darnika Reed.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Woodland Hills School Board votes to censure member after emails posted to social media<\/a><\/p>\n The school board also clarified Monday night that an audit to review district finances has not yet started.<\/p>\n Maluchnik now has 30 days to respond to the board\u2019s decision and can request a hearing.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n