By:  Marty Raminoff

The New York City principal’s union is being blasted for lack of transparency over its hushed and “abusive” ousting of a “highly regarded” official.

As reported by the NY Post, members of the union are speaking up about the June ousting of Sana Nasser, who has served as a union executive for nine years and a city principal for 16 years. Nasser was dismissed on the spot during at meeting, by president Mark Cannizzaro of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, as per a termination letter obtained by The Post.  At the closed-door meeting held on June 7, Nasser and Cannizzaro had disagreed over staffing and had gotten into an argument, after which the union leader had yelled at Nasser, ordering her to pack up her office.  “The reaction just did not match whatsoever the conversation that was happening,” Nasser recently told The Post.  The principals’ union, and five people at the meeting, denied Nasser’s description of the dispute.

Before Labor Day weekend, thousands of the labor union’s members had learned that Nasser was no longer with CSA, many of them lamenting her loss, and singing her praises, saying they had been mentored by Nasser.  Many began asking questions on an email chain about her ouster.  “As every hour passes, it’s becoming more and more suspicious why our union president won’t speak to us,” Bronx High School for Law and Community Service principal Michael Barakat told The Post.  “Clearly, there’s a culture in the leadership of CSA that believes it’s OK not to speak to the membership that supports CSA, that pays their salaries,’” he added.

The union had finally addressed the ousting in its weekly update email to members on Friday afternoon.  The union leaders denied allegations that Nasser’s termination had been abusive.  “The information and allegations recently shared with our members on this subject are untruthful,” said spokesperson Craig DiFolco — alleging that “everyone else” at the meeting attested the matter was handled “completely appropriately.” “Otherwise, this is a confidential personnel matter,” DiFolco added.  The principal’s union saidit’s policy not to communicate publicly to members about personnel decisions, such as Nasser’s termination. They agreed that the dispute centered around field staff for the union.

Nasser said that at the meeting Cannizzaro asked her to send him an email, and she said she had pushed back, saying she’d already sent it but would resend. She alleged that Cannizzaro had then raised his voice and pointed to her saying, ‘You want to do this now?’ and ‘You’re not going to like it.’ He then stood up and asked her to pack up her things, she complained.

General counsel David Grandwetter, defended Cannizzaro, saying that he had “repeatedly attempted to de-escalate the situation”.  Grandwetter said the president requested Nasser to come to his office for a private conversation, “rather than continue the exchange in front of the five others in attendance.”  As per the Post, other officials present at the meeting agreed with Grandwetter’s account of events.

The former union exec told the Post she does not want her job back.  She said it was about more than her personal situation.  “No one wants to put out that there were terminated. This is not a badge of honor,” said Nasser.  “I don’t think us in central CSA communicate fully and openly. I don’t think we’re being transparent.”