Steel Valley school board President Timothy McCallister has resigned and is moving his family to North Huntingdon, where his four children will attend the Norwin School District.

He said that Superintendent William Kinavey's lack of action on what he considered to be important issues in Steel Valley -- some involving Mr. McCallister's children -- is the main reason for his resignation and move from the district.

Mr. McCallister resigned via e-mail on July 4, but it won't become official until the school board can act on the resignation at its Aug. 12 meeting.

One instance that Mr. McCallister cited occurred shortly after the new middle school gym opened several years ago. One of his daughters, he said, was playing basketball and slipped on water that was on the gym floor because of a leak in the gym roof. His daughter fell onto another girl who broke her leg.

He said when e-mails about the situation were sent to the district's insurance carrier and board members from Athletic Director Shawn McCallister, who is his cousin, his daughter's name was included. Timothy McCallister contends that using a student's name without parental permission violates federal law.

Timothy McCallister said he asked Dr. Kinavey to discipline the athletic director but that the superintendent responded: "I won't be involved in the McCallister situation."

Dr. Kinavey declined to comment on the matter.

Another instance that Timothy McCallister cited occurred a year ago when another one of his daughters was in eighth grade and was singled out by Steel Valley Middle School history teacher Mark Fallon. Mr. Fallon was suspended from the school district during the 2007-08 school year for another, undisclosed matter but recently won his job back through an arbitration process.

Timothy McCallister said that during a classroom conversation about political factions, Mr. Fallon singled out his daughter and said that her father was part of a political faction on the school board.

"My daughter was totally embarrassed," Timothy McCallister said, adding that his daughter filed a written complaint with the middle school principal over the matter.

Dr. Kinavey said the incident was never reported to him.

The final straw, Timothy McCallister said, was what he alleges is Dr. Kinavey's mishandling of the suspension of Mr. Fallon. District officials have refused comment on Mr. Fallon's suspension.

But records at the office of Munhall District Judge Thomas Torkowsky indicate that Mr. Fallon was guilty of two counts of harassment by Mr. Torkowsky on March 20. Mr. Fallon has appealed the ruling to Common Pleas Court, which has scheduled a hearing Aug. 13 before Judge Robert C. Gallo.

The case file in the district justice office indicates that a private criminal complaint of harassment was filed in January by parents on behalf of two female students in the Steel Valley School District. In both cases, the parents allege Mr. Fallon made comments of a sexual nature.

Timothy McCallister claims that Dr. Kinavey was given a directive from the board in 2007 to fire Mr. Fallon when the parents of the girls complained to the district. But, instead, Timothy McCallister said, the superintendent suspended the teacher for the last eight days of the 2007 school year.

Timothy McCallister said when the board majority found out that the superintendent had not followed the directive, he was again ordered to fire Mr. Fallon. At that point, Timothy McCallister said, the superintendent suspended Mr. Fallon pending termination.

But Timothy McCallister said Mr. Fallon was able to win his job back through an arbitration decision in June because of the double suspension.

"If he [Dr. Kinavey] would have suspended him correctly, then I think it would have been a done deal," Timothy McCallister said.

Dr. Kinavey had no comment on the situation.

Timothy McCallister had been in support of a motion on the agenda of the June 24 Steel Valley School Board meeting to open Dr. Kinavey's contract and consider other applicants for the job.

But when Timothy McCallister didn't show up at the meeting because he got called to work, he asked that the motion be tabled. Instead his cousin Edward McCallister, brother of Athletic Director Shawn McCallister, made a counter motion to extend Dr. Kinavey's contract for another three years.

That motion was approved 6-1, with one abstention. Board Vice President Pam Terrick was the sole dissenter and school director Rose Marie Bartko abstained.

"I feel bad for the school district. Bill Kinavey doesn't run the school district. If it wasn't for his surrounding staff, the district wouldn't be where it is today. The teaching staff is wonderful, but personally I don't feel Bill Kinavey was the best candidate for superintendent," Timothy McCallister said.

Dr. Kinavey said he had no comment on Mr. McCallister's allegations other than to wish him well. "I want to thank him for his wonderful service to the district and wish him luck in the new community," Dr. Kinavey said.