Need another reason to vote against anyone running on Unity slate, how about a sex scandal? This is just one symptom of Unity's arrogance of almost completely unaccountable power. At least there was some accountability here.
Here are some details from the Daily News:
A burly teachers’ union official with a taste for naughty behavior has been fired for carrying on messy sexual trysts with junior staffers, sources say.
Former United Federation of Teachers Political Director Paul Egan, a political powerbroker whose influence once extended from lower Manhattan to Albany, was let go from his high-flying post Feb. 15 amid jealous accusations hurled by one of his spurned paramours, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
Egan, 52, who worked in city schools before joining the UFT more than a decade ago, first grabbed headlines after city officials accused him of encouraging his students to cheat on standardized exams in 2001.
In 2011, he made the news again for throwing a fit during a boozy lobbyist dinner in a swank Albany bistro, claiming the quail he was served — and finished — wasn’t a generous enough portion, sources said.
You get the idea. Only the "best" move up the Unity food chain.
29 comments:
The big question: Will this dude be able to go back to teaching in the DOE? He did not commit a crime while working for the UFT. He seemed to beat his test cheating rap when he actually was a teacher. Thoughts???
It's a great day for quail everywhere, but I do feel bad Paul. He should have slipped a ring on the finger of his spurned lover and he may have become UFT president.
No accountability? The man was fired from a prestigious job, and is publicly shamed. He wont be hired anytime soon by any political group. And citing this as a reeason not to vote for Unity is ridiculous. The one thing the last 30 years has taught us is that sexual indiscretion is non-partisan.
The cheating thing was before he worked for UFT and the quail incident, while bad, did not rise to a fireable offense. The current matter, however, did merit termination, and he was summarily fired.
That is the definition of accountability. Your argument that Unity lacks any strictures may be accurate. But if so, this is a refreshing exception.
Mailed my vote today--Solidarity.
Unity is the textbook definition of power without real accountability to members. You cannot defeat Unity in an election so case closed. There is no accountability downward. Zero.
The Unity arrogance usually comes out in how some of the rank and file are treated by many union higher-ups.
This kind of scandal is not unusual when there is power without any real accountability. People in power feel invincible and their worst nature can come out. I am somewhat surprised we haven't seen more open wrongdoing under the Unity structure. Maybe it a good sign Egan was fired but realistically, Mulgrew had no choice.
I did not think this would be a controversial posting.
In case anyone is going to ask, I have no problem with office romance among people with the same or similar titles but supervisors should always stay away from people who work for them. If they are unable to, one or the other should transfer to another department.
As for using this politically, that is as American as apple pie. See Anthony Weiner, Monica Lewinski, etc.
Don't forget the Trump Access Hollywood video.
From Norm at EdNotes. Makes the point about culture of invincibility at UnityUFT.
"And by the way -- not the first sex scandal at the UFT - remember Jerry Goldman who was fired for some shenanigans at a NYSUT convention at the Hilton?"
@9:50 am...my thought is yes. All parties are adults. He will be just fine. Just another day.
The firing happened on Feb 15 according to the article. It is March 30. Who on the inside leaked it now and why did they do it?
Ask any current or retired UFT staffer or PM staffer about sex in UFT. They will tell you to forget it. It has happened, obviously, but in general, it's a lousy place to get laid. Just not the culture.
I'm getting heat from some Unity apologists who claim the article is rumors etc. I got my tip not from 52 Broadway but from a rank and file chapter leader who had heard a rumor that Egan was marched out by security. It was incumbent for the leadership to announce he had left even if not giving reasons.
12:33:00: I can PROMISE you there will be no such indiscretion MORE. Their men walk around in bright red graphic t-shirts and their women just aren't interested. Not in New Action either and not at all for Solidarity. So, no, this one is not a partisan thing in the UFT. This one is all you ...
I don't think we know the full story. From the DN story it seems this was all related to sex and doesn't involve the UFT except that their computers were used. Paul worked hard for the UFT as he should have for his level of compensation. He was well liked and respected by politicians in Albany and at City Hall. He did some good as political director as you see the difference now and when Bloomberg was in office. Even Cuomo is no longer publicly disparaging public schools.
I acknowledge Egan and his political team worked hard. I think you left out their biggest win which was the overwhelming defeat of the constitutional convention in 2017.
On the other hand, the UFT endorsement record is decidedly mixed including support for plenty in the IDC. Didn't we endorse Jeff Klein? What about Alcantara over Robert Jackson? Calling them shameful endorsements is probably not an exaggeration. Also, not supporting Bill Thompson in 2009 when Bloomberg was running for a third term was a huge UFT error. Thompson was supposed to get slaughtered and came within 5 points. Wasn't that under Egan too? The UFT political team completely missed the anti-Bloomberg sentiment out there.
A debate on the political record is much more in my comfort zone than writing about sexting on UFT member paid cellphones which I think we all can agree was not a good idea.
Norm, Someone on the inside leaked this story to the Daily News. I appreciate you breaking it but as was raised earlier, why after 6 weeks did sources on the inside feel they needed for this to be publicized as a front page story rather than letting it pass quietly? Was it just for personal revenge or did some sources on the inside want to give the UFT a punch in the face?
You have to be a fool to continue paying union dues. For what!
Yeah let's stereotype an entire caucus based on the actions of one member. When are you gonna write about how the entire Solidarity Caucus sucks because one of their members is in jail?
And the story is based on a rumor. It could be absolutely false. He may have been fired for something worse, or perhaps something less, but maybe he had been put on notice after the quail thing, and then maybe he did something else not so serious, and this was the 3rd strike. We really dont know.
@9:49 I have. Just have yet to write how that Solidarity member is in jail yet and how The Clown egged him on.
Oh Boy! Fatal attraction Zucker style. Porty beware!
Typical James Eterno. This is a tabloid blog. Quick to write about shortcomings of others regardless of how true it may be. That's why there are very few people left who take you or your views seriously. James, you are the very thing you despise in others, spiteful, abusive, bully, and an "activist" from hell!
Anonymous Sunday, March 31, 2019 11:20:00 AM "We really dont know." EXACTLY!!
Why don't we, dues paying members of the UFT know why Paul Egan is not with the UFT?
Not a word at the Exec Bd or Delegate Assembly. Ask your District Rep.
@2:56 blah blah blah blah. However, feel free to email any time and I hope we can hash things out.
@3:35 James all those things? I don’t think so. But, at least James doesn’t hide behind anonymity.
So a UFT big shot gets caught using his union phone that our dues pay for to sext. The Daily News reports it. Ben Chapman is a professional reporter so I trust he checked his sources and didn't make this up. I copy an excerpt from the article and add in a blurb about how the Unity arrogant culture of invincibility could have possibly played a role here and I am an activist from hell.
And how am I a bully if virtually nobody takes my views seriously? I have no power to bully anyone.
I am not even running in the election. Same line over and over from who I think is our CSA troll but that is just a guess. Good night all.
UFT caught in the Me too Movement. Union membership is 75% female but not the UFT leadership. And now this happens.
Not sure exactly why Paul Egan was removed from his position as Political Director. Can't help but feel that there's something else here we're missing.
He was involved in an office romance. Awkward for his wife perhaps, but it has/had nothing to do with the UFT or the membership or the job he did. He was well-thought of both at the UFT and with the politicians. The girlfriend DID NOT work for him so there's no intimidation or Me Too-ism involved. She was a colleague, with, at least, equal status. And Egan is hardly the only one carrying on an adulterous affair at the UFT. And to make it all worse, Egan has neither the years or the age to retire gracefully.
Interestingly, if you look up the person who replaced him, you discover that she worked for Cuomo, Andy Pallota at NYSUT, and recently for Mulgrew.
So what's actually going on here?
Is there more to this story?
Why was he really fired?
I’m 2:56, Pete you need to hash things out with Portelos, not me. I like you and used to respect you until you went batshit crazy obsessed over Solidarity. None of this crap really matters. Regain your dignity.
He could been easily moved if this was not something serious.
There is less to this story. Conspiracy theorists keep plugging away. I hear Mulgrew was at the grassy knoll back in 63. The conspiracy theories here defy logic.
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