UPDATE: Superintendent Williams, after stating that he would leave if his pay was cut to $175,000, has now claimed he never said that and the media “made that up. I have not said anything like that.” Except he did. On camera. Oh snap.
To recap, within 24 hours, Williams said on the teevee that he would quit if his pay was reduced to $175,000 and then went on the radio and said he never said that. Got it? Okay good.
Carl Paladino presented to the Buffalo Board of Education last night and, surprising absolutely no one, hammered Superintendent James Williams for being incompetent. This isn’t Paladino’s first trip to a School Board meeting, of course. He presented just a couple months ago and shared a joking hug with his nemesis James Williams.
This time, however, the more interesting confrontation happened after Paladino left the room. Following up on Paladino’s remarks, Board member Chris Jacobs asked Superintendent Williams if there had been an increase in non-union administrators. Williams, as he’s been known to do, responded curtly saying “I’m not responding to Mr. Paladino, period.”
Jacobs responded “Well, I’m asking this question?” Williams, in his trademark style, fired back “Then, Chris, look at the budget book and you all can do what you all want to do. The man is stupid. He’s ignorant. And you all cater to that stupid stuff. I’m fed up with it. I’m through with him. I’m not going there.” But Williams wasn’t done with the personal insults.
When Jacobs continued to press Williams for an answer by telling him he worked for the School Board, Williams blasted Jacobs saying “I am sick of your craziness, Chris.”
While a confrontation involving Williams or Paladino is hardly newsworthy, a confrontation between Williams and Chris Jacobs is notable. Jacobs has been a longtime friend of James Williams and the other longtime Williams supporter – Florence Johnson. If a rift develops between Jacobs and Williams, it could have interesting implications for Williams tenure in Buffalo.
Oh, and Williams says if his pay is cut to $175,000, he’ll quit.