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Middletown board rejects Dec. 1 return of superintendent after heated debate
Summary
Trustees debated whether to restore Superintendent Amy Creedon on Dec. 1; the motion failed 4–5 after members split over whether a transition plan was complete and concerns about internal conflict.
The Middletown City School District Board of Education voted down a proposal to return Superintendent Amy Creedon on Dec. 1 after a heated public discussion and a 4–5 roll-call vote at its Nov. 21 workshop meeting.
The motion to approve Creedon’s return was introduced after the board amended the meeting agenda to add the item. Supporters said restoring the superintendent quickly would help with budgeting and restore leadership continuity. One trustee argued the board had "dropped the ball" and that delaying the return continued to hold the district and staff in limbo: "We've dropped the ball. This is our fault," the trustee said.
Opponents said the board had not yet finalized a transition plan or agreed collectively on the steps they had discussed in prior meetings. "This immediate rush now to go back on December 1 was not agreed upon by this entire collective board," a trustee said, urging more time to put agreed safeguards in place. Other trustees raised concerns about internal conflict and recommended a later date (one speaker proposed Jan. 1) to allow for planning and professional development.
During debate, supporters cited previous investigations and personnel actions. One trustee said the superintendent had been cleared by an independent investigator and that conversations about professional development could take place without postponing a return. Opponents pressed that several contingency steps discussed earlier had not been implemented and that the board needed to do its due diligence before approving a return.
A roll call recorded the following votes: Doctor De Jesus—No; Mister Estrada—Yes; Mister Moore—No; Mister Perino—Yes; Mister Rhett—No; Miss Romero—No; Miss Tabiason—Yes; Mister Freddie Williams—No; Pastor Williams—Yes. The chair announced the motion failed and the board moved to its scheduled workshop session.
The board also authorized further workshop discussion on the matter; no new effective return date was set during public session.
