Four Newburgh schools employees suspended; unclear if related to racist Facebook post
CITY OF NEWBURGH − The final days of the school year continue to be hectic in Newburgh.
Late Tuesday night, the board voted to suspend four district employees, including an assistant principal at the high school, Newburgh Free Academy.
Besides that assistant principal − Katiana Simon − it is unclear who else was suspended or why, and if any of the suspensions were related to controversy that shook the district last week.
A group of school employees were under an internal investigation last week, according to a statement the district issued to the Times Herald-Record on June 13. The probe concerned a Facebook post made by high school art teacher Nicole Mischo that received widespread backlash from the Newburgh community. The teacher made a joke in her post about a Black student's hair extension that was on the floor of her classroom, and she included a picture of the hair piece. Other staff chimed in with offensive comments.
District officials said the post was "reasonably perceived as offensive and racially insensitive" toward the Black community in dual statements issued by NFA's co-principals and Interim Superintendent Ed Forgit.
During last week's long and emotional school board meeting, the board's attorney, David Shaw, said in a statement the employees involved in the Facebook post had tenured status. Tenured employees can't be fired from their jobs unless district officials find "just cause," according to state education law.
Shaw said the board would make its findings and decisions known at the June 21 board meeting.
Parents keep pressure on school board
"... If we made teachers accountable for their ill actions, we wouldn't be here today," Sertaira Boyd, a member of the Newburgh Parent Alliance, told the school board Tuesday.
The Alliance, made up of Black parents of Newburgh students, was formally organized in May. They came together after police were sent to the home of a Black 7-year-old student for concerns about his art class drawing, despite a social worker's determination that there was nothing to be worried about.
The boy's mother, Francella Palmer, confronted the school board on Tuesday, demanding to know what policy the school followed when the principal called police. It was the second time she has asked the board for this information.
"What protocol is this? This is not right," Palmer said. "... Are we sweeping this under the rug? Can somebody let me know what's going on here?"
Ray Harvey, president of the local NAACP chapter and member of the Alliance, asked the school board to respond to the group's inquiries about how parents can get involved in district committees that help shape policy.
He suggested district leaders invoke a popular political strategy to try to mend the district's relationship with Newburgh families.
"When we're talking about making the community whole again, let's knock on doors," he told the board. "Let's talk to folks. Let's really engage with the community. Because we're missing that."
Lana Bellamy covers Newburgh for the Times Herald-Record and USA Today Network. Reach her at lbellamy@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Newburgh schools suspends 4 employees, unclear if related to racist post
