The furious wife of a philandering Staten Island principal blew the whistle on her husband\u2019s affair with a younger teacher at his school, where he helped his lover win tenure, The Post has learned.<\/p>\n
Principal Anthony Cosentino, 43, engaged in a \u201cconsensual sexual relationship\u201d with the married staffer, Jacqueline Sinodinos, 28, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools found in a newly released report accusing him of possibly violating the city\u2019s conflict-of-interest rules.<\/p>\n
The scandal broke up two marriages. Both Cosentino\u2019s wife and Sinodinos\u2019 husband filed for divorce.<\/p>\n
Principal Anthony Cosentino\u2019s extramarital affair with a younger teacher under his supervision showed \u201can absence of judgment and professionalism,\u201d the Special Commissioner of Investigation charged. P.S. 21 Margaret Emery Elm Park \/ Facebook<\/p>\n
After receiving an SCI report on the alleged misconduct in July 2024, the city Department of Education removed Cosentino, 43, from PS 21 in North Shore. But he remained on the DOE payroll making $187,632 despite what SCI Anastasia Coleman called \u201can absence of judgment and professionalism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coleman recommended \u201cstrong discipline, up to and including termination\u201d of Cosentino. Instead, he may get a new assignment as principal of another school in the borough, sources said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In March 2024, Cosentino\u2019s wife \u2013 a DOE teacher at another school \u2013 filed a complaint with SCI that her husband had carried on an \u201cillicit sexual relationship\u201d with Sinodinos since June 2023, and given her extra school funds to spend on a Thanksgiving party and other festivities for her class.<\/p>\n
The DOE had already received a complaint in November 2023 that Cosentino was engaging in an extramarital affair with the teacher and giving her preferential treatment, the SCI says. It\u2019s unknown what, if anything, the DOE did about it.<\/p>\n
SCI received another complaint in February 2024, and launched its own probe. <\/p>\n
Teacher Jacqueline Sinodinos won tenure while having an affair with Principal Cosentino, who recommended her. Jackie Sinodinos\/ Facebook<\/p>\n
Romantic relationships between co-workers are not forbidden by the city Conflicts of Interest Board unless they involve a financial component, or when \u201ca superior has the power to affect \u2026 a person\u2019s employment, including the power to evaluate job performance, assign work, or approve leave requests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cosentino finally admitted his extramarital relationship to another DOE administrator, while insisting it involved no special considerations or financial favors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But SCI learned he gave Sinodinos \u201chighly favorable\u201d reviews and and recommended her for tenure \u2013 a\u00a0 permanent job status with due-process rights and protection from firing. Teachers typically come up for tenure after four years.<\/p>\n
His confession came only after Sinodinos won tenure in January 2024. Another administrator who approved her tenure had \u201csuspicions of bias\u201d by Cosentino \u2013 but found no evidence the teacher didn\u2019t deserve it, the SCI reports. Sinodinos\u00a0made $77,771 in 2024.<\/p>\n
Instead of facing termination, Cosentino may be transferred to become principal at another Staten Island school. Leonardo Munoz<\/p>\n
In other questionable conduct, Sinodinos tried to enroll her son in a 3-K program at PS 21, though the child was zoned for another Staten Island school. It\u2019s unclear whether PS 21 accepted him.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sinodinos\u2019 husband filed for divorce in July 2024. Their split was finalized in June, court records show.<\/p>\n
Cosentino\u2019s wife sued for divorce in October. That breakup is pending.<\/p>\n