BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      The Boardman Local School Board met on Mon., Dec. 20. Not on the agenda given to the public were three items---a lawsuit filed against a Washington, D.C. consulting firm, the resignation of the system’s treasurer, and the resignation of the high school’s head football coach.
      The lawsuit, filed Dec. 15 in the U.S. District Court/Northern District of Ohio, says a management consulting firm, McKinsey & Co., played a role in advising pharmaceutical companies of methods to market addictive drugs---and that led to an increase in the number of infants born with opioid withdrawal symptoms. The suit alleges students born to drug-addicted mothers may have developmental ‘delays,’ and that has caused increases in the costs of special education services provided to students.
      Atty. Marc Getz, who is representing Boardman Local Schools, said the lawsuit, “is a class action complaint filed on behalf of all independent public school districts in Ohio and alleges that McKinsey played a central role in the expansion of the opioid crisis by advising multiple opioid manufacturers in the sale and distribution of opioids.”
      McKinsey is a global management consulting firm, with over 30,000 employees and operations in more than 65 countries.
      The Boardman Local School District’s Treasurer, Terry Armstrong, has announced that he will take the same post with the Newton Falls School District, effective Jan. 24, 2022. Armstrong was hired as Boardman treasurer in late Aug., 2020.
      And, after serving as head football coach for only a year, Seth Antram will leave the post to return from where he came, Chaney High School, to lead that football program, and as well, become Dean of Boys for the Youngstown City Schools. Antram took over the reigns of a Spartan grid program whose 2022 freshman class posted an unbeaten season and as seniors, finished just 4-5.
      During their regular meeting on Dec. 20, the school board unanimously approved an appropriations resolution report for Fiscal Year 2022. Total appropriations listed in the report are $66.167 million.
      That includes a general fund of $46.628 million, as well as $6.853 million for employee benefits/self insurance, $3.255 in funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (Covid-related funding); $2.182 million for permanent improvements; $1.538 million for food service; $1.152 million in certain grant monies; $1.214 million in Title I disadvantaged children funds.
      In his November financial report, outgoing Treasurer Armstrong noted a significant change in the system’s spending plan.
      “As the year progresses we will see a change...due to the implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan. Funding that was received based on average daily membership included foundation revenue for students who attended non-public, charter schools and open enrollment.
      “A major change will be that this will no longer show up in a district’s average daily membership, thus per pupil funding will not be shown as revenue as we will get funded (only) for students attending Boardman Local Schools.
      “This will be a net gain for Boardman as this will be off-set by lower expenditures for those students leaving the district that under the old school funding system resulted in costs that exceeded what we received for each student,” Armstrong said.
      The Lawsuit
      Boardman Local School System’s suit against McKinsey & Co. is just one of many filed against the company across the United State and Canada.
      For example, in early December, 2021, In a coordinated legal strategy, seven counties in east Tennessee and five counties plus one city in west Tennessee have filed separate lawsuits against consulting firm McKinsey & Co. over its involvement in the opioid crisis.
      A third federal lawsuit is expected shortly from a group of counties in middle Tennessee, according to Greeneville, Tenn. attorney Crystal Jessee, who is part of a team of attorneys representing Tennessee counties filing suit.
      The Tennessee counties are seeking an unspecific amount in damages from the giant global management consulting firm over its role as an advisor to Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid drug, oxycontin, whose use and abuse continues to exact a devastating toll on families and communities in Tennessee, and across the nation.
      The lawsuits were filed 10 months after Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III announced the state of Tennessee had joined a multi-state settlement with McKinsey, involving 47 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories for $573 million. Tennessee’s share of the settlement is $15.1 million.
      In Oct., 2021 a class action lawsuit was filed in Toronto, Canada by Sotos Class Actions and Goldblatt Partners LLP against McKinsey for its role in fuelling the opioid epidemic in Canada
      The representative of the class, Jordan Francis Charlie, a resident of northern Ontario, was first prescribed oxycontin in 2007 due to a back injury sustained while working in forestry. Mr. Charlie soon developed a devastating addiction to opioids, resulting in the loss of his job and the custody of his child.
      “Mr. Charlie’s tragic experience with highly addictive, ineffective, and unsafe prescription opioids is typical of thousands of Canadians,” the lawsuit says.
      Canada is the world’s second largest consumer of opioids, second only to the United States. In Canada, prescription use of opioids increased by 203% between 2000 and 2010, while sales of oxycontin soared during the same period. According to the Government of Canada, from January 2016 to December 2020, there were 21,174 apparent opioid-related deaths across Canada and 24,671 hospitalizations for opioid-related overdoses.
      In Dec. 2021, Virginia’s Opioid Abatement Authority generated it’s first funds from a lawsuit with McKinsey. Money from a settlement with the company will go toward mitigating the effects of the opioid crisis throughout the Commonwealth.
      The Abatement Authority was born out of legislation put forward by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. It aims to support opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
      According to a press release from Herring’s office, the settlement is worth more than $11.3 million. Herring said that McKinsey & Co. played a role in “turbocharging the opioid crisis.”
      “No dollar amount will ever bring back the Virginians that we have lost to opioids or make their families whole again, but we can fund crucial prevention, treatment and recovery programs to truly help those who are suffering,” said Herring in a press release.
      In June, 2021, New York City filed a lawsuit against McKinsey, accusing the consulting firm of being a mastermind of the opioid epidemic.
      The lawsuit against McKinsey was filed by the city and more than 20 state counties in Suffolk County’s state Supreme Court, with plaintiffs claiming “the worst man-made epidemic in history” was due in part to the company’s “major role in crafting and implementing” deceptive marketing strategies to sell addictive prescription pills.
      In February, 2021, McKinsey agreed to pay nearly $600 million to most U.S. states, including New York, to settle allegations that it fueled the crisis by helping Perdue Pharma sell oxycontin. Months earlier, Perdue pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with the national epidemic.
      McKinsey claims its prior settlement shelters it from the lawsuit filed by the city and other local governments.
      The December School Board Meeting
      The school board accepted the following certificated staff resignations:
       •Michelle Minteer, Robinwood Lane Elementary School, intervention specialist, resignation effective December 15.
       •Sue Purfey, Boardman High School, intervention specialist, retirement effective March 1, 2022.
      Leaves of absence were approved for:
       •Cara Henley, Center Intermediate School sixth grade language arts teacher, first-year unpaid parental leave of absence from December 9 through February 28, 2022.
       •Alicia Orr, Center Intermediate School sixth-grade social studies teacher, second-year unpaid parental leave of absence from August 16 through June 30, 2022.
       •Becky Amadio, an unpaid leave of absence per the OAPSE contract Article XI Section E for Ms. Amadio from December 13 through January 7, 2022.
      A member of the system’s classified staff, Melissa D’Altorio, was transferred from 220 days general office to a 250 days as Principal’s Administrative Assistant. D’Altorio replaces Jean Rider.
      Kelly Black was granted a one-year limited contract as 2.5-hour cafeteria server at Boardman High School, replacing Amy Theodore.
      Maria Quintalti was granted a one-year limited contract as a half contract bus aide for the 2021-2022 school year effective November 17. Quintalti replaces Jerry Rosine.
      On-Staff supplemental contracts were granted to:
       •Jeana Carpenter, High School, Math 24; Glenwood Junior High School, Math Counts, and Glenwood Junior High School, Math Contest;
       •Eric Diefenderfer, Glenwood Junior High School, Robotics Team (grade 7 and 8 Maroon);
       •Lindsay Donadio - Center Intermediate School, Math 24 (grades 4,5,6);
       •Kristen Ebie, Glenwood Junior High School, Math 24; Glenwood Junior High School, Math Counts, and Glenwood Junior High School, Math Contest.
       •Tim Harker - Glenwood Junior High School, Robotics Team (grades 7 and 8 White); and
       •Maria Russo, Center Intermediate School, Math 24 (grades 4,5,6).
      Off Staff Supplemental contracts were granted to:
       •Scott Burns - High School Orchestra Assistant, work not to exceed his average of 29.5 hours/week;
       •John Gabriel - High School,Stage Crew Advisor;
       •Charles Hoover, High School Stage Crew Advisor; and
       •Nick Opritza - High School Dramatics Director.
       •Alannah Hetzel was approved as an off-staff volunteer high school Speech and Debate assistant coach
      Longevity Pay was approved for April Sanfilippo after the completion of 19 years of continuous service with the Boardman Local School District.
      Carmela Schuster was approved for long-term substitute wages after having substituted for 60 consecutive days in the same position. Schuster has been a social studies teacher at Center Intermediate School.
      Joseph Hollabaugh was granted a $1,250 stipend for additional hours of taping and editing of school productions.
      Kristin Huzyak was approved for a quarterly stipend as $1,250 as Covid coordinator at Center Intermediate School for the second, third, and fourth grading periods.
      Three persons were approved for $30 students each for time spent working at a choral music concert---ticket sellers Cheryl Dutko, Jody Marlin and Lori Neiman.
      Stipends were approved for time spent working on the production of Guys and Dolls for the following:
       •Bill Amendol, orchestra director, $1650; Cheryl Dutko, ticket seller, $112; Lori Neiman, ticket seller, $112.50; Anne Sopher, assistant costumer, $500; and Alyssa Titi, pianist, $800.
      The school board approved stipends for time spent coaching fall sports to Paul Butto, football, $1,500; Jesse Curry, football, $3,000; Tommy Fryda, boys soccer, $599; and Steve Stahura, football, $500.