The Newberg Enlarged City School District Board of Education voted 5-4 on Sept. 3, 2025, to rescind charges filed Jan. 23 and June 24, 2025, and to authorize the Board President to sign an employment-related agreement restoring Dr. Jacqueline Manning Campbell as superintendent, effective upon the majority vote.

The resolution, introduced at a special meeting called the evening before the first day of school, rescinded the prior suspensions and withdrew the previously filed charges with prejudice, and directed that a copy of the superintendent's employment agreement be incorporated into the minutes. The board adopted the resolution by roll-call vote: Ms. Birx, Mr. DeRay, Mr. Howard, Ms. Politti and Mr. Bergarelli voted yes; Mr. Levenstein, Ms. Christine Bello, Ms. Thomasina Bello and Ms. Boucher voted no.

The vote ends a period in which the district paid for both a suspended superintendent and an acting superintendent, a cost board members said exceeded $175,000. Board members who supported rescission said auditors found no evidence of fraud, waste or abuse that would warrant continuing the suspension and that restoring a superintendent provides needed leadership with more than 10,000 students returning to school.

Dr. Manning Campbell addressed the board after the vote. "I'm grateful to be here, and I'm ready to get back to work," she said, thanking staff and Acting Superintendent Onyx Peterson for maintaining district operations during the suspension.

District legal counsel, Mr. Shaw, described the employment-related settlement as a de-escalation of litigation. He told the board the settlement includes a mutual release and a promise by Dr. Manning Campbell not to pursue litigation based on the charges, and that withdrawing the charges reduces further legal exposure and expenses for the district. "I do believe this is a reasonable outcome for the District," he said, while adding he could not predict with certainty what a hearing officer or court would decide and that a hearing timeline could take "no sooner than a six month period of time" if pursued.

Not all board members supported immediate rescission. Board member Mr. Levenstein said he voted no and urged an independent hearing officer process, stating he wanted charges to be heard by a neutral adjudicator. Other board members questioned the urgency of a special meeting and whether district policies had been followed; those points were raised during discussion but no additional formal action on policy compliance was taken at the meeting.

Board members and counsel also discussed indemnification and legal fees. Mr. Shaw said that Public Officers Law 18 and statutory indemnification provisions apply to officers and employees who act within the scope of their duties, and that the settlement structure addresses attorney-fee exposure by resolving the pending charges. The board did not authorize separate, itemized payments of legal fees on the record during the special meeting; the resolution approved an employment-related agreement and the president was authorized to sign it as presented.

The board followed the rescission vote with public acknowledgments of Acting Superintendent Onyx Peterson's work during the interim. Peterson was thanked by both the board and Dr. Manning Campbell, who presented Peterson with an acknowledgment of service on behalf of her team.

Next steps recorded at the meeting: the employment-related agreement was incorporated by reference into the meeting minutes as the approved document; any future disputes related to the previously withdrawn charges would depend on terms of the settlement and releases contained in the agreement.