The Newburgh Board of
Education remains under criminal investigation and intense scrutiny after
giving their superintendent a six-figure sum of money to resign during a sexual
harassment scandal.
It’s now apparently
trying to fire an outspoken board member for publicly criticizing the deal.
The BOE has a history
of remaining silent when it comes to controversies. In 2019, no comment was
given after the district was found guilty by a grand jury of forging student
athlete attendance records.
The start of this
school year was no different when the sexual harassment case involving the same
superintendent at the helm was kept under wraps. The board and district ignored
News 12’s requests for comment while Dr. Roberto Padilla was suspended and
noticeably absent.
It wasn't until the
findings of the investigation were leaked and Board of Education member Darren
Stridiron spoke out as a concerned citizen that the public became aware of
secret plans to pay Padilla six figures to resign, rather than move
forward with a hearing to find out if he was guilty.
Richard Desderio, a
district teacher and whistleblower in the 2019 forgery scandal, called
Stridiron “a hero for standing up for these women.”
While the public is now
demanding transparency, the board is apparently retaliating against Stridiron
for speaking out. On Friday, they voted to remove legal protections for members
who speak about the board or district and emailed Stridiron after the meeting
with plans to fire him.
The school district's
attorney, David Shaw, said by text Tuesday that there is no
action currently pending by the board against Stridiron.
News 12 reached out to
District Attorney Dave Hoovler about the investigation into the Newburgh School
Board, which he said is "just beginning."