Former Riley principal Dean Goewey was placed on administrative leave with pay in November 2006 after allegations of sexual harassment. Michele Cowley, the now-retired secretary who worked mostly at Riley, is the main witness in the charges brought against Goewey by the district. Monday, Sara Mitchell, a stenographer at the Oswego Middle School, testified on behalf of Goewey.

Mitchell, who worked at Riley Elementary until September 2007 when director of personnel, Bill Crist, informed her she was being transferred to the middle school, named Goewey a friend and called into question the allegations lodged by Cowley.

In his direct examination, Henry Sobota, the lawyer assisting the district in its case against Goewey, asked Mitchell about Fridays at the elementary school. Mitchell said that she and a group of school staff members ordered out for lunch and Goewey would call the mushrooms found in Chinese food “penis mushrooms.” Later she noted it was said in a joking manner.

Sobota established that Mitchell and Goewey were friends and that the married couples and their children hung out often over the past 20 years. The lawyer also read part of Mitchell’s evaluations from Goewey, stating that Mitchell “understands the value of loyalty and confidentiality. She is truly a professional member of the staff.” Mitchell said she was loyal and professional and has been so toward all of the people she has worked with over the years.

Sobota asked Mitchell to explain what she meant by being loyal to Goewey. “Being loyal is being a friend,” Mitchell said. “Being loyal in the job is just helping him with the job, doing the job.” Sobota asked her if she ever had to “cover” for Goewey, and she stated she had not.

Art Scheuermann, the lawyer representing Goewey, asked Mitchell during his cross examination what she would do if a man besides her husband took her hand and placed it on his crotch at work. “I would tell him not to do that then I would call somebody in personnel, for starters,” she answered. Scheuermann then asked her if Goewey ever did this and she testified he had not.

Mitchell also stated that no district representative ever contacted her about Cowley’s claim that Goewey allegedly placed Mitchell’s hand on his crotch. This included Crist; Mike Stanley, the district’s attorney; and David Fischer, the superintendent.

Scheuermann said that the hearing is unfair because district administration never contacted Mitchell, an alleged sexual harassment victim.

“Do you know any reason why she would say such a thing?” Scheuermann asked Mitchell about Cowley.

“I can say that she was jealous and a little crazy,” Mitchell responded. Sobota objected, saying that because Cowley was not on trial, she would not be able to defend herself. Hearing officer Douglas Bantle overruled Sobota, stating that Cowley and Mitchell were the key players in the hearing because they were in the office where most of the alleged incidents occurred.

Scheuermann asked Mitchell if Cowley was pathological (exhibiting a mentally disturbed condition). Mitchell said she would not call her that. “She (Cowley) went a little crazy in my mind. Her whole personality changed,” Mitchell said, noting this occurred around 2000. Mitchell said Cowley began becoming aggressive with the parents, slacking off with her work and occasionally using Hotmail and match.com during school hours.

Mitchell testified that Cowley told her and other staff members about a man she met online. The staff referred to him as the “Gloucester man.” Mitchell said that Cowley talked about the Gloucester man every day and testified that Cowley told her about sexually-explicit details in her relationship with the man she met on the Internet.
The hearing will resume at 10 a.m., Monday at the education center on East First Street.