Councilman sorry about ‘racy’ e-mail

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim McGuire

Councilman John Castiglione, R-2nd Ward, said Tuesday he regrets sending a “racy” e-mail some of his council colleagues found offensive, but he stressed that he will not resign and will leave his fate up to the voters.

Castiglione issued a written statement Tuesday, speaking for the first time since a complaint was filed against him in April by fellow council member Robin Wentworth, D-1st Ward, and Ellen Anadio, R-4th Ward.

The complaint, which contained seven allegations, was investigated by Niskayuna attorney and former state Lobbying Commission director David Grandeau. In his report, Grandeau found no basis for four allegations but did find Castiglione sent a mass e-mail to various city employees and officials last October that violates the city’s sexual harassment policy.

The image depicted a topless pool player.

The city paid Grandeau about $5,900 for his work.

Castiglione, a candidate in the Sept. 15 Republican primary for councilman-at-large, acknowledged that he often received and then passed on mass e-mails that “occasionally contained racy humor. Last year, I was careless about whom I forwarded the e-mails to,” he said.

He said none of the recipients ever told him the messages were unwanted, and he said until April he was unaware that anyone had complaints about them.

“I regret any discomfort my actions may have inadvertently caused,” he said.

“That being said, it is for the voters of Gloversville’s 2nd Ward to decide who will represent them on the city council and not my colleagues, each of whom I have opposed on various issues and initiatives in the past. I will not permit the members of the council to thwart the will of the people over this matter. I will continue to serve the residents of the 2nd Ward to the best of my ability and will not resign unless I am elected as councilman at large in November,” he said.

Castiglione is opposed for the at-large seat by Councilman James Robinson, R-3rd Ward. If defeated, Castiglione will remain in his current seat.

The Common Council deliberated over Grandeau’s report in an Aug. 25 executive session and will continue to discuss it at its September meeting, officials have said.

Wentworth and Anadio both said Tuesday they cannot discuss the case while it remains a topic for executive session.

But Wentworth said it is probably a matter best left to the voters.

If the case involved a public employee accused of sending an offensive e-mail over a municipally owned system, she said that employee might be subject to termination.

“I’m not saying that’s what should or should not happen” in this matter, she said.

Wentworth said she considers it a breach of ethics that someone leaked a copy of the Grandeau report to the Sunday Gazette, although she added that it may yet be determined the public has a right to see that document.