Laurel Highlands school board member faxed campaign notices
The Laurel Highlands School District superintendent said a school board member was responsible for sending multiple campaign-related faxes from a district elementary building.
Superintendent Jesse Wallace said Tuesday that after launching an internal investigation, it was determined that board member Melvyn Sepic, the father of Fayette County judicial candidate Douglas Sepic, was responsible for sending out announcements about a Tuesday “meet and greet” event from the Hutchinson Elementary School office.
“We have spoken,” said Wallace of an earlier conversation with Melvyn Sepic. “It was an oversight on his part. He had had some problems with another fax and (went to Hutchinson) and asked to use theirs.”
After learning that a campaign-related fax had originated from school equipment, Wallace said that he began questioning staff as to who used the equipment and learned that Melvyn Sepic had been permitted access to the machine.
“It was because of his status in the school district that he was given access to the fax,” said Wallace. “I certainly don’t think he intended to do anything wrong.”
It is unclear how many faxes were distributed, as the older equipment will only generate a daily report within 24 hours.
“The first thing I sought was the activity report, but because it was more than 24 hours (after April 23), I was unable to retrieve the report,” said Wallace, adding that the manufacturer was also contacted to determine if access could be made. “It is due to the age and ability of the machine that we were unable to get it.”
Wallace said that the staff has been instructed that political material can not be distributed via the school district equipment by employees, students or anyone associated with the district.
“The district does not endorse any candidate; we wish them all well, but as a school district we do not endorse candidates in any campaign,” he said. “I don’t anticipate having a recurrence of this in the future.”
Melvyn Sepic declined comment when contacted Tuesday.
Douglas Sepic, a Democrat, is one of five candidates seeking the nomination for two positions on the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas bench.
The issue of using taxpayer-funded equipment for political purposes was raised earlier in the week by Russ Rhodes, chairman of the Fayette County Republican Committee.
Rhodes said that while the campaign event met election and campaign regulations, sending out invitations or notices from a school district fax, was a violation of the law.
“What we have is a political person using taxpayer-funded resources for their own purposes,” he said.
Rhodes said Tuesday that he was not the direct recipient of the fax, rather it was given to him by another person.
Rhodes declined to identify the person, but said that it was a “trusted” individual who had received it from an unidentified elected official.
Several municipalities contacted Tuesday acknowledged that the “meet and greet” invitation was received at their respective municipal offices on April 23, including Connellsville, South Union, Redstone and Bullskin townships.
Leah Brothers, Connellsville Township secretary, said that the Sepic event fax was received by the office at 2:51 p.m. April 23. She confirmed that it originated from the Hutchinson school fax.
A South Union Township office spokeswoman said that a fax from the Hutchinson school was received at 3:10 p.m. and contained information about the event.
Bullskin Township Supervisor Walter “Deb” Wiltrout said Tuesday that both the township secretary and fax machine confirmed the receipt of the document.
“(The supervisors) were out of town, but our secretary said that it was received,” said Wiltrout. “It was immediately shredded, because campaign material shouldn’t be sent here.”
Douglas Sepic said that it was not until Tuesday that he learned it was his father who had distributed the invitations to various locations via the Hutchinson school fax.
“He called me and explained what had happened,” said Douglas Sepic. “What he explained was that while doing some other things for me, he took it upon himself to send out these faxes.
“I know that he is well aware I have personal fax machines, but he did it without even thinking where he was sending it from.
“He has accepted full responsibility for the mistake.”
Douglas Sepic said that despite the allegation of wrongdoing, his father did not use his position to access the school fax to send campaign material.
“It was done during the hustle and bustle of a busy day,” he said.
Douglas Sepic said that he has written a $250 personal check to the Laurel Highlands School District in an effort to “apologize” to the district and its taxpayers.
“By no means does it change anything that happened or fix what was done, but it is my way to apologize for what was done,” he said. “I had no knowledge that it was done, and I do not condone it.”
Douglas Sepic questioned Rhodes’ motives in bringing the matter to the public forum and speculated it was a way to disrupt his campaign.
“He has a political ax to grind,” said Sepic. “It is reflective of Fayette County politics.”
The judicial candidate was also critical of the Herald-Standard, stating that the fax issue did not rise to the level of front-page headlines.
“I’ve spent my career prosecuting serious, violent criminals, drug dealers, murderers and trying to do what is right for Fayette County,” he said. “(This minimal matter) detracts from the real issues in this campaign that are plaguing Fayette County.”