Newburgh Superintendent Jackielyn Manning-Campbell has confirmed to News 12 that she was suspended with pay Thursday night during a special board meeting in a 5-4 vote.

This comes just days after a near-campus shooting, and a forensic audit that found the Newburgh Enlarged City School District unnecessarily raised taxes.

The superintendent says the move is part of a "witch hunt" to remove her from office.

“I have no idea what I’ve done wrong. It’s just been relentless - the harassment, the toxicity. Clear contractual violations at every single board meeting,” Manning-Campbell says.

The administrator was noticeably absent during the emergency meeting Thursday. The Board of Education didn’t name the employee, who was only identified as employee number 12325, and didn't allow public comment.

News 12 has reached out to the board president for comment and the district’s attorney but hasn’t heard back.

The district has faced intense, back-to-back criticism this month about how it handled the violent altercation among teens outside of Newburgh Free Academy’s main campus and the forensic audit, which found an unexpected multimillion-dollar surplus. News 12 reported on both issues last week.

“The governor released aid to us. We didn’t know how much aid she was going to release,” Manning-Campbell says. “We also received a greater than expected reimbursement for Medicaid.”

Manning-Campbell released a statement online hours before the board meeting stating that recent reports about the audit were “misleading” and may have caused “confusion.”

The troubles and apparent turmoil are the latest in a long history of district problems – including a grading scandal years ago and the suspension of their former superintendent after he was accused of sexual harassment.

“It’s disheartening that a simple vote puts a blemish on my record and the amazing things I’ve been able to do,” Manning-Campbell says. “This is my career, my livelihood. What they’re really trying to do is defame me. They think that if they come up with some trumped up charges, I’m going to coward away. I’m not.”

News 12 has reached out to the board president for comment and the district’s attorney but hasn’t heard back. We received a joint statement from the four board members who voted against the suspension:

"We, Letitia Politi, John Doerre, Phillip Howard, and Ray Burgarelli, are writing as concerned members of this community who are deeply invested in the success and well-being of our schools and students. We are profoundly disappointed and alarmed by the actions of the five board members of the Clear Choice Coalition: Victoria Bousche, Mackenzie Bousche, Thomasina Bello, Christine Bello, and Fred Stewart," the statement reads. "Last night, these board members voted to suspend the superintendent of schools without seemingly enough time to conduct a thorough investigation. This decision is both reckless and irresponsible, with far-reaching negative consequences for our community.It is difficult to comprehend how such a significant decision could be made without proper due diligence or consideration of its impact."