Parent alleges physical misconduct by principal during Kingston school board public comment; board record shows no response

A Kingston parent used the public-comment period at a Kingston City School District board meeting to allege misconduct by a school principal and to call for greater administrative accountability.

"The quote is from an 8 year old who recently told his mother that when he was 4, principal Lobianco hit him," the parent said during public comment, framing the remark as evidence the board must act to "protect our children." The speaker, who identified themself as a parent, also accused administrators of silencing voices and urged trustees to be more "beholden to children and not the stakeholders they say they serve."

The allegation was delivered during the board—s public-comment period, which the chair described at the outset as limited to three minutes per speaker and 30 minutes total. The meeting transcript records no immediate response, investigation direction, or staff report addressing the specific allegation in the remainder of the minutes for that meeting.

Why it matters: allegations about staff conduct can trigger personnel or child-protection processes that are often subject to state and federal privacy laws, and boards must balance transparency with legal limits on what can be discussed in public session. The board—s public-comment rules, repeated at the meeting, note privacy and bargaining agreements can prevent discussion of "specific employees or students." The transcript shows the comment was received by trustees but does not record any formal motion, referral, or public explanation of next steps during that meeting.

What happened next: the speaker—s claim appears only in the public-comment transcript; there is no recorded board direction or vote tied to the allegation. If the board or district takes follow-up action, that would normally be reflected in later minutes or a closed-session report if permitted by law.

Speakers quoted: Lee Bonbasuto (public commenter)