District request for state to remove ex-Newburgh BOE president dismissed as ‘moot’
Stridiron was well-known for speaking out against district leaders and board decisions since he was first elected in 2014.
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An attempt to remove Newburgh’s former school board president has been dismissed by the state now that he’s since resigned.
The district Board of Education petition claimed Darren Stridiron leaked confidential information last October when referring to a suspended teacher as a “whistleblower” and requested the New York state Education Department remove the official from the board.
Stridiron said in a Facebook post about the decision, “The commissioner of education has ruled against the NECSD in their attempt at continuing their false charges against me after I resigned due to lack of financial information, and never-ending harassment from the administration and board members.”
Stridiron was well-known for speaking out against district leaders and board decisions since he was first elected in 2014.
He resigned in February with several other board members citing a slew of problems with the superintendent and remaining board members.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa called the petition “moot” in her decision.
"The Commissioner doesn’t rule on matters for which the remedies requested would no longer be relevant," says Newburgh Enlarged City School District attorney David Shaw. "The Petition was brought for the removal of Mr. Stridiron as President of the Board of Education and as a Board of Education member. His resignation accomplished both of those purposes."
Shaw requested the state continue to review the petition, despite Stridiron's resignation, in a letter to the commissioner that News 12 has obtained. The letter, dated Feb. 29, cites concerns the ex-president may seek to run for reelection.
The commissioner's denial states the petitioner did not meet the burden to demonstrate that the "scenario" would apply as an exception to the mootness determination.
