By MARK GUYSIDH | The Times-Leader

WILKES-BARRE – Robert Corcoran’s disembodied head sat idly on the edge of the conference table courtesy of a laptop and an Internet Skype connection.

Corcoran – or a least his image – waited more than 20 minutes as the rest of the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board decided if he could legally participate from his new home in Germany.

The board emerged, immediately voted to go back into executive session, and soon summoned Corcoran, his face still on the screen as technology director Gene Manning toted the laptop into the back conference room. Within minutes, board members Christine Katsock and Lynn Evans emerged, announcing Corcoran had admitted he has no residence in the school district and insisting he thus had no right to participate in a board meeting. Katsock said she had sought an adjournment until the legal matter could be settled but that the other board members rejected the idea.

“This is truly a political move on behalf of four members of this board in an effort to keep their majority,” Katsock said.

“We’re not participating because we’re not sure if it’s legal,” Evans added.

Both noted Corcoran had opted to take a job in Germany and was not forced to do so. “And it’s not just for a few months,” Katsock said. “It’s for three to five years.”

Board Member Maryanne Toole, who had left earlier to retrieve some papers, returned, spoke with Katsock and Evans, and opted to stay out of the executive session. All three left the building before the board emerged.

When the board did come out, Solicitor Ray Wendolowski said that while residency is a requirement to be on the board, the other board members could not legally remove Corcoran unless he missed two consecutive meetings, and that attendance through the videoconference was legal under case law. So they could not bar him from attending via Skype, and they cannot remove him unless he doesn’t attend.

Wendolowski said a judge could remove Corcoran from the board through a “quo warranto” hearing, typically initiated by the county district attorney or the state attorney general. Wendolowski said a hearing could be launched in some cases by someone with a special interest in the situation, a fuzzy category he said could mean a fellow board member. But “a regular member of the public can’t do it.”

With the seats for Toole, Katsock and Evans empty despite their attendance at an earlier work session, the remaining board members held a full meeting, authorizing repairs, awarding contracts and making numerous hires.

What should have been a poignant moment arguably turned ironic when the board voted on resolutions expressing sympathy for deceased family members. Board Member Phil Latinski said “it’s an honor to read this,” then cited a resolution marking the Jan. 31 death of Thomas “Tex” Toole. The seat of his wife, Maryanne, sat empty as the board unanimously approved the resolution.

At the end of the meeting, Corcoran justified his decision to continue to participate. “Thanks for having me,” he told the board. “It’s about 2 in the morning here, and all the bars are closed.”

Corcoran said it was the board’s responsibility to remove him if he missed two consecutive meetings, then added “when it comes to responsibility, that’s why I’m here.” He said he had a duty to those who elected him and that he is still registered to vote in the district, still pays local and state taxes and still has a driver’s license registered in the district. “You don’t necessarily have to own property in the district,” he said. Corcoran also suggested the highest vote-getter in this year’s primary could replace him if the board wished.

After the meeting, Board President John Quinn said the board had no choice but to allow Corcoran to participate. “What are we going to do, go against our attorney?”

Asked why he didn’t adjourn the meeting to allow time for the legal issue to settle, Quinn said the board had too much work that required immediate attention.