School superintendent says job offer was rescinded after he addressed committee members as 'ladies'

A former high school principal says a job offer to serve as a the school district superintendent was rescinded after he addressed two female committee members as 'ladies' in an email.

Vito Perrone was offered the position by Easthampton School District in Massachusetts last month, but after an email exchange in which he attempted to negotiate slightly higher pay and more sick days, he says the offer was withdrawn.

Perrone was offered a three-year contract with an annual salary of $151,000, around $14,000 less than his existing job as an interim superintendent at another school district.

In those emails Perrone asked for a cost of living adjustment of 3 percent for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, as well as additional sick and vacation days.

Vito Perrone says a job offer to serve as the Easthampton School District in Massachusetts was withdrawn after he sent an email to school board committee members addressing them as 'ladies'

Cynthia Kwiecinski was the chairperson of the committee and told Perrone his offer would be withdrawn on Thursday 

Perrone told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that he was taking a pay cut regardless. He had been the principal of Easthampton Highschool eight years prior.

'This job was not about the money for me. I honestly felt like I was coming home to Easthampton. I coached football here. I was principal here when we built the school. I have such wonderful memories … I was excited to come back,' he said in an interview with the Gazette on Friday.

In an email, viewed by the Gazette, he addresses Chairperson Cynthia Kwiecinski and Suzanne Colby, executive assistant to the committee as 'ladies'.

According to Perrone, Kwiecinski said that using 'ladies' was a microaggression and 'the fact that he didn't know that as an educator was a problem.'

'I was shocked,' he said. 'I grew up in a time when 'ladies' and 'gentlemen' was a sign of respect. I didn't intend to insult anyone.' 

He said he was attending a fundraiser dinner in the high school on Thursday night when he was planning to go to a conference room for negotiations with the comittee. Instead, he was asked to leave the room for 45 minutes before being told that his offer would be rescinded following a vote. 

'I don't want people to think I was not willing to negotiate in good faith. I have chosen not to just leave it as 'negotiations stalled.' I would rather share my truth, my sadness and disappointment and try to find a way forward positively,' he told the Gazette. 

Perrone had been the principal of Easthampton High School eight years prior and viewed his new job as coming 'home'

Perrone began his teaching career in Carson City in Nevada after playing professional football in Italy for four years

The School Committee had voted 4-3 to hire Perrone on the evening of March 23. He says they attempted to call him that night but as he was asleep and did not respond to its calls a police officer was sent to his home to check on his well being. 

He says he and his wife were woken at around 12.15am. 'The police officer asked if I was OK because the School Committee was trying to get a hold of me,' he said. 'My interview ended at 8 o'clock and I ended up falling asleep around 10.15... I thought my phone was on, but I guess it wasn't.'

Perrone was born and raised in Manchester, Connecticut, and has worked with prisoners in Nevada and been a principal at multiple high schools, according to the Terrier Times. 

He also played four years of Division I football at UMass Amherst even led to tryouts with several professional teams. He did not make it into the NFL but he was able to play professionally in Italy. For four seasons he played in the Italian Federation of American Football.

After returning to the US he began teaching  English and coached football in Carson City, Nevada, before moving to the prison system, the Times reported.

'Honestly, I am truly, truly disappointed that I won't be in Easthampton in that building,' he told the Gazette last week. 'I'm just sad.'

He said a meeting to organize the next superintendent has been set for Tuesday at 7.30pm.