News Blog

Until now, the Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board has remained relatively quiet the face of accusations of wrongdoing in the first phase of the $1.2 billion schools modernization project. (There is an FBI investigation, but details are scant.) 
 
Much of that concern has come from City Hall. Mayor Lovely Warren demanded specific changes to the draft legislation for phase two of the project to, she said, strengthen oversight and protect taxpayers. 

But, citing misinformation reported in the media, the RJSCB pushed back on the rumors and innuendo yesterday in this brief written statement:

"There have been some recent incorrect statements reported in the press concerning the federal government investigation of allegations of wrongdoing in connection with the School Facilities Modernization Project, including possible wrongdoing by the Board’s former Independent Compliance Officer."

"The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have informed the Board that they consider the Board to be the victim of any such wrongdoing. As such, the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys’ Office have kept the Board apprised of the status of the federal investigation. They have not identified the Board’s Executive Director, Tom Renauto, or the project’s program manager, the Gilbane Building Company, as suspects in the investigation. In fact, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has provided the Board with assurances that Mr. Renauto is merely a witness, as opposed to a suspect, in the investigation. The suggestion that the FBI is investigating the program manager and Executive Director is contrary to the information we have been provided by the government."

The Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board

Thomas Renauto
Executive Director
Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board