“The Suffern school board elected Matthew Kern as its new president and Paul Shapiro as vice president Tuesday evening meeting, before naming Lisa Weber, the district’s assistant superintendent of instruction, as acting superintendent.
Lisa Castaldo, who served as acting superintendent since Superintendent Douglas Adams’ suspension in March, was named the new assistant superintendent, effective July 15.
Kern and Shapiro, who were the only board members nominated, were unanimously elected. Two of the seven board members, Donald Cairns and Angus MacKenzie, were not present for the votes.
Kern and Shapiro were part of a board minority that opposed Adams’ suspension. A four-member majority accused Adams of withholding information from the board and of inadequately responding to “wrongful conduct” by a school district employee towards a student.
It now appears that the former board majority that supported Adams’ suspension has lost its sway.
Former board president Amany Dgheim, who was part of that majority, did not seek re-election and her term expired June 30. She was replaced by newly elected board member Chris Nicpon, who campaigned with Kern on a “restore stability and integrity to the Suffern Central School District” platform, according to their campaign website.
The appointment of Weber, who worked under Adams for nearly a decade, could signal the new board’s intention to move the district in a different direction.
After being elected president at Tuesday’s reorganization meeting, Kern said he has “no updates that he can share” about Adams’ future.
In early March, the board approved five undisclosed disciplinary charges against Adams and said a hearing would be scheduled on the charges. The board added an undisclosed number of additional charges during a June special board meeting. But the board has not said when Adams’ hearing may take place.”
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