Middletown board appoints BOCES attorney as special counsel for trustee facing Education Department proceeding
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Summary
The Enlarged City School District of Middletown board on Feb. 12 approved a resolution appointing Capital Region BOCES attorney Bethany Citron to represent Trustee Edwin Estrada in a proceeding filed with the state commissioner of education under Section 306 of New York State Education Law. The board ratified an intermunicipal agreement with BOCES; one trustee called the action a misuse of funds and one abstained.
The Enlarged City School District of Middletown Board of Education voted Feb. 12 to appoint Capital Region BOCES attorney Bethany Citron as special counsel to represent Trustee Edwin Estrada in a matter filed with the commissioner of education under Section 306 of New York State Education Law. The resolution also ratified an intermunicipal agreement between the district and BOCES for that representation.
The board president read the resolution, citing the district’s legal obligation to defend and indemnify Trustee Edwin Estrada in the proceeding. The motion was moved and seconded and carried; the meeting record shows one board member voiced that the action was a “travesty and a waste of taxpayer money” and the vote passed with one abstention/exception noted.
The resolution text presented to the board states the position was filed with the commissioner pursuant to Section 306 of New York State Education Law and specifically names the BOCES arrangement and attorney. The board did not discuss additional legal strategy, billing limits, or an outside counsel budget during the public portion of the meeting.
Board members and the public were given the opportunity to comment immediately after the vote; one trustee expressed concern about the use of public funds but the motion passed on the record. The board minutes will incorporate the intermunicipal agreement by reference, according to the resolution language.
Next steps: the district will proceed with the BOCES representation established by the resolution. The board did not announce a timetable for disclosure of retained‑counsel invoices or any limits on fees during the meeting.