A New School Superintendent Got His Job Offer Rescinded As He Called Both Females, Chairperson And Executive Assistant, As “Ladies” In An Email 

A newly arriving Massachusetts school superintendent unveiled that his employment offer was rejected before his first day at job after he wrote an email in which he referred to a couple of women on the school’s committee as “ladies.”

As per the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s report, on March 23, Easthampton Schools offered Vito Perrone the position of superintendent. 

Later, the position he was offered was taken back just because of the way he addressed the chairperson and executive assistant in the email. 

Both the committee members clarified his “ladies” salutation as a “microaggression.”

Perrone informed a media outlet that he emailed the ladies just to bargain for higher pay and more sick leaves as according to his calculations the annual salary of $151,000 was almost $14,000 less as compared to his current job at another school district as an interim superintendent. 

Perrone had served East Hampton High School as a principal for almost a decade. 

During an interview, he stated that he could have willingly accepted a pay cut but was expecting a cost of living reconciliation in the 3-year agreement. 

Perrone told the Gazette that Chairperson Kwiecinski informed him that using the word “ladies” for them as the salutation was degrading and negative and that “the fact that he didn’t know that as an educator was a problem.'” 

He then shared that she criticized him for using “ladies” as an exclusionary behavior.

Hence, he was notified that the job he was offered with is taken back after the committee vote. 

In an interview, on Friday last week, he stated: 

“I was shocked. I grew up in a time when ‘ladies’ and ‘gentlemen’ was a sign of respect. I didn’t intend to insult anyone.”

He added: 

“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 concluded:

“Honestly, I am truly, truly disappointed that I won’t be in Easthampton in that building. I’m just sad.”