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An assistant school superintendent in the region is abruptly resigning after claiming that a colleague physically assaulted him on school grounds.
In Albany County, Cohoes Police responded to Page Avenue Elementary School for a reported assault at around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16.
According to the incident report obtained by Daily Voice, Cohoes City School District Assistant Superintendent Daniel Martinelli told officers that he got into a heated argument with James Stapleton, the district's facilities director.
As the argument escalated, Stapleton punched Martinelli with a closed fist and then shoved him, he told police. Martinelli reported pain and discomfort to the left side of his face but declined medical treatment at the scene.
Stapleton admitted taking Martinelli's glasses off of his face and shoving him after Martinelli came into his office appearing "highly agitated," according to the report.
He notably did not claim that Martinelli put his hands on him or got physical in any way. Officers then escorted Stapleton off of school grounds.
Martinelli went to the Cohoes Police Department three days after the incident and gave investigators photos of his bruising, along with medical paperwork from an urgent care in Clifton Park. He told officers that he had bruising on his back and right arm, as well as pain to his lower back and the left side of his face.
On Thursday, May 9, Stapleton turned himself in to Cohoes Police and was arrested on suspicion of assault and harassment.
News of the alleged assault and Martinelli's subsequent resignation prompted the district to hold a special board meeting on Wednesday evening, May 29, where he confirmed that his last day will be Friday, June 28.
The meeting quickly descended into chaos as Martinelli spoke over the objection of board members, claiming that he was punched in the face and received medical attention, video on X from WRGB reporter Briana Supardi shows.
Martinelli went on to say that the alleged assault was documented in a police report filed by the Cohoes Police Department. At least two other attendees could be heard supporting Martinelli, with one accusing the board of “trying to hide” the alleged incident.
In his resignation letter to the Cohoes City School District, which was obtained by WRGB, Martinelli said he was the victim of a “severe incident of workplace violence” on Tuesday, April 16.
“During this incident I was physically assaulted, resulting in injuries that required medical attention,” he said. “The assault included being punched in the face and forcefully pushed into a closet, causing me to strike my head, shoulders, back, and neck against metal shelving.”
Martinelli went on to say that he did not retaliate and “promptly notified the Cohoes Police.”
Cohoes City School District Superintendent Peggy O'Shea declined to comment on the incident but said the district "thoroughly investigates all complaints of workplace violence impartially and takes appropriate actions based on the findings."
"We have a zero tolerance for violence of any kind in our schools, workplaces, and facilities, and we will continue to uphold this standard rigorously," O'Shea said.
Martinelli was named as the district’s assistant superintendent in August 2021. Prior to that, he spent 20 years as the principal of Cohoes Middle School.
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