BMHS acting principal to return from administrative leave
NORWALK — Barbara Wood will return to her role as acting principal at Brien McMahon High School on Monday, weeks after she was placed on administrative leave.
The school district announced Wood’s return on its social media accounts Saturday.
Wood is one of three McMahon staffers who was placed on administrative leave as the state Department of Education investigated “issues of concern” involving an educator at the school.
Peter Yazbak, a spokesperson for the state education department, confirmed there are two ongoing investigations looking at one of the city’s largest public schools.
The first investigation began earlier this month when the district placed the school’s principal, Scott Hurwitz, on leave to address an undisclosed personnel matter. The district’s internal inquiry later widened to include two assistant principals: Barbara Wood and Qadir Abdus-Salaam, according to Chief Communications Officer Brenda Wilcox Williams and Superintendent Alexandra Estrella.
The district has declined to offer a reason for the moves, but in an effort to ease mounting concerns among parents, Estrella said last week that the district’s probe is not related to allegations of sexual misconduct.
No administrators have been fired or disciplined by the district, Estrella said.
The state investigation does “not involve allegations of sexual misconduct based upon the information we have at this time,” Yazbak said.
It is unclear when exactly the investigation began and if any of the three administrators now on leave are the focus of the probe.
The state probe comes as two Brien McMahon teachers who were previously placed on administrative leave prepare to depart the school system. Music teachers Frank Arcari and Scott Benson have informed the district about their intent to resign, according to the Board of Education’s agenda for its meeting next week.
Arcari and Benson, along with a third music teacher, were previously placed on leave this school year, district officials confirmed last week. At the time, they said the employees had not been fired or disciplined.
It’s unclear if the music department absences are related to the situation involving the three Brien McMahon administrators.
Resignations are not uncommon for the school district. At least a few employees notify the school system each month about their decision to leave their job, according to BOE meeting documents.
Eight Brien McMahon employees have resigned from their roles at the school since last July, including Arcari and Benson. Arcari’s resignation is effective May 15 and Benson’s is effective June 30 — the last day of the school year. They did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday.