The Newburgh Board of Education on Jan. 17 voted to authorize the school district's attorney to investigate matters conveyed by the board concerning an individual identified in the meeting as "employee 11725," and recessed into executive session to discuss that employee's employment history.

The action came during a special meeting of the Newburgh Board of Education. After initial procedural attempts to enter executive session failed on a tie vote, the board later approved a motion to go into executive session, then voted to add a resolution to the agenda authorizing the school attorney to investigate matters conveyed by the board about employee 11725. The resolution passed on a roll-call vote with one member recorded as voting no.

The meeting record shows an early motion to recess into executive session on the grounds of "employment history of a pedagogical employee" failed on a tie vote. Board members recorded as voting "yes" on that first motion included Miss Thomasina Bello, Miss Victoria Boucher, Mr. Stewart and Miss Christine Bello; several other members were recorded as voting "no." The minutes note "That motion fails."

A later motion to enter executive session passed on roll call. Members recorded as voting yes to enter executive session included Miss Victoria Boucher, Mr. Stewart, Miss Christine Bello, Miss Thomasina Bello and Miss Mackenzie Boucher; Mr. Dorey, Mr. Howard and Miss Politti were recorded as voting no. The board then recessed into executive session; the meeting agenda stated the board "may take action after executive session."

After returning to open session, the board voted to add to the agenda a resolution that, as read during the meeting, "authorizes the school attorney to investigate matters conveyed by the board ... regarding employee 11725." That motion to add the resolution and the subsequent motion to adopt it were approved by roll-call votes. On the adoption vote, board members recorded as voting yes were Mr. Durey, Mr. Howard, Miss Christine Bello, Miss Thomasina Bello, Miss Mackenzie Boucher, Miss Victoria Boucher and Mr. Stewart; Miss Politti was recorded as voting no.

No details about the substance of the alleged matters, the scope or timeline of the attorney's investigation, or any personnel actions were disclosed in the public portion of the meeting. The board repeatedly referred to the subject as an employment-history matter and identified the person only as "employee 11725." The school attorney was authorized to investigate "matters conveyed by the board," according to the resolution language read aloud at the meeting.

The meeting concluded with a roll-call motion to adjourn that was recorded as passing. The board's resolution and the record of the executive-session votes indicate the board intended to address personnel matters in private and may take further public action after the attorney's investigation and any executive-session deliberations.