Anthony S. Amato, the superintendent of the New Orleans public schools, has apologized for the “distraction” related to news that district workers boarded up his house to protect it from Hurricane Ivan.
Mr. Amato came under intense criticism after The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported last month that school system documents showed seven workers were ordered to do the job on district time, with district-owned materials, even though some protested.
The superintendent said he called the district’s facilities chief to ask him to arrange for a private contractor to do the work. Mr. Amato initially told the newspaper that he had personally paid “volunteers” from the district’s maintenance office to do the work, but records later showed that the men were still on the clock when the work was done.
At a press conference on Sept. 24, Mr. Amato said his deputy superintendent, Ora Watson, would investigate the matter. The superintendent apologized for the incident and said he had done nothing wrong.
