May 30, 2008 1:46 pm US/Eastern
Cake Dispute Leads To Conn. Principal's Suspension
Argument Over Birthday Cake Could End In Termination
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) ―
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An argument over birthday cake could result in the termination of a Connecticut principal.
AP
A spat over sweets -- cupcakes to be exact -- has resulted in the suspension of a Greenwich elementary school principal, his lawyer said.
Glenville School Principal Marc D'Amico was suspended earlier this week pending an investigation into what district officials have labeled as serious allegations.
D'Amico's lawyer said the issues involve pastry and birthday celebrations.
"This man is being proposed for removal," lawyer John Gesmonde said. "I will confirm it was about cupcakes and birthday cakes."
The controversy began when Frank Carbino delivered the goodies to the school May 6, intending to bring them to his daughter's class for her birthday. He said he got as far as the school office when a secretary told him to leave the sweets on the counter for his daughter to pick up and bring back to her class.
Carbino said he protested, saying his wife had cleared the birthday plans with the teacher the day before. He then spoke with D'Amico, who told him school policy prohibited parents from personally delivering birthday cakes or treats.
"All I've wanted to do was just clear my name of the whole thing," Carbino said. "It's more of an integrity thing."
Another parent, Abbe Large said she was angry at the entire situation. Large said she had talked to both D'Amico and Carbino.
"The punishment does not fit the crime," Large said, reading from an e-mail she prepared to send to the Board of Education. "You're acting as if he did something criminal. This is over a birthday cake, for the love of God, a disagreement between two men."
D'Amico, who has been asked to refrain from speaking on the matter, expects to meet with the superintendent on Monday, Gesmonde said.
An apology may be in order if the principal did something wrong, his attorney said.
"Between an apology and termination, I think probably listening to the parent, maybe communicating to the parent could have been clearer and that may be the basis for an apology," Gesmonde said.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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