An online petition is calling for the reinstatement of a Newburgh Free Academy custodian reportedly on administrative leave following publicly raised concerns about staffing and conditions at the high school.

Curtis Burnett addressed the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education on Sept. 15, telling board members that a custodian shortage at NFA Main had left employees struggling to maintain the building. Burnett, an Army veteran, alleged that three custodians were working during the day and another employee was splitting time between NFA Main and Horizons-on-the-Hudson.

The following day, Burnett was placed on administrative leave, according to Natalie Mac, the Newburgh resident who created the petition. Burnett separately told the Mid Hudson Times that he is under investigation but declined to discuss the circumstances.

“I’m under investigation and speaking right now is not a good idea for me,” Burnett said in a message.

The petition alleges that Burnett was suspended in retaliation for speaking publicly about staffing and calls on the district to immediately reinstate him. The district declined to confirm whether Burnett has been suspended or placed on leave, saying it could discuss individual personnel matters.

“Because personnel matters are confidential, the district cannot comment on or confirm the employment status or circumstances involving any individual employee, including any personnel action that may have been taken,” the district said in a statement.

Mac said she started the petition after learning Burnett had been placed on leave the day after the board meeting. Before publishing it, she contacted Burnett directly to verify his status and he confirmed to her that he was on leave.

The petition seeks Burnett’s reinstatement but also reflects broader concerns Mac said she has heard from district employees and parents about whether staff members feel comfortable publicly raising problems within the schools.

“We want fairness and we want it to be about the students and we want employees to feel safe bringing attention to things and wanting to improve things because that’s what helps the students,” Mac said.

The petition was also created as a “centralized way” to bring those concerns directly to the district and Board of Education rather than leave them scattered across social media posts and private conversations, according to Mac.

“I see a lot of Facebook posts and comments on social media where people are venting the frustrations that they have and that doesn’t bring change,” Mac said. “That doesn’t necessarily make it to the board and the school administration.”

The petition has received more than 2200 signatures, a significant response for Newburgh, where Mac said previous petitions have typically drawn about 200 to 300 signatures.

“This is a lot for an area of our size,” Mac said.

Burnett’s wife, Kesha, was among those who posted messages of support on the petition.

“Thank you for supporting my Army veteran husband in these difficult times,” she wrote. “My husband loves the children and will never stop speaking up for them.”

Burnett’s alleged that NFA Main was severely understaffed during the day, leaving custodians unable to keep up with cleaning and prompting security employees to take on custodial work.

“Three people cannot run NFA,” Burnett told the board. “It’s falling apart. The building is disgusting. We do not have the personnel.”

Burnett said the school previously had between nine and 11 custodians working during the day compared with the three now. He alleged that security employees were cleaning spills and cafeteria tables to help with the workload.

The district disputed Burnett’s characterization of staffing, saying his remarks “do not provide a complete or accurate picture of the circumstances.” The NFA Main Campus currently has 14 custodial employees, according to the district but did not specify how many were on the day shift, the period Burnett addressed during his remarks.

“Staffing is determined based on a number of factors, including building size and configuration, student and staff populations, operational needs, scheduled events, and the scope of work required to maintain a safe, clean, and appropriate learning environment,” according to the district. “The district reviews operational and staffing matters on a regular basis.”

Burnett also raised concerns about unpaid work, telling the board that although his regular shift is from 3 to 11 p.m., he had been arriving at noon and working the additional three hours without pay. He said overtime had been cut and that he worked the extra hours because he considered himself a “team player.”

“You know how many hours I have documented that I’m not being paid, so we don’t fall apart,” Burnett said. “How many people work for free here?”

According to the district, employees must document all of the hours they work and are not authorized to “work without compensation, based on their contract.”