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.