The Newburgh Board of Education auditorium at 124 Grand Street was nearly filled again on Tuesday, July 16 with district parents, teachers and community members. The Tuesday night meeting followed a heated reorganizational meeting on Tuesday, July 2.

At the July 2 meeting, the BOE allowed the public to speak on agenda and non-agenda items for an unlimited period of time. The comment period went on for several hours. Public speakers were unhappy with the newly elected board members, the resolutions from the board’s June 30 meeting and the impacts of social media within the community.

Upon entering the auditorium on July 16, members of the public immediately noticed the seating arrangements for the meeting were changed, with neither the board table nor the chairs for attendees in their usual places. Also, the superintendent was sitting at another table, not next to the board president.

Beginning the meeting, Board President Christine Bello made a statement addressing what took place at the July 2 meeting, where it was later revealed she had said the word “a--hole” on a hot mic. The word was uttered following comments made by district parent Melanie Collins.

“During the public meeting, I inadvertently uttered a word, an unrefined word which was subsequently picked up on a hot mic. While the situation in the room was stressful and emotions were high, that does not justify this mistake,” said Bello. “I take full responsibility for it.”

Following Bello’s statement, member John Doerre made a motion to amend the agenda and move the public comment period on non-agenda items back to the top of the agenda. The comment periods would be 45 minutes each for a total of 90 minutes. The item had previously been placed towards the end of the agenda. That placement had been called into question by the public.

Former board member Mark Levinstein questioned the later start time and the need to hold board of education meetings at different locations. During his tenure on the board, he said, he did not recall the public requesting different meeting locations. Other items included the movement of comment periods and the behavior of the board president.

Resident Aisha Mills asked for a thorough explanation from the board president on the reason for the calling of a forensic audit. “This resolution is not a benign request. A forensic audit is not a good faith effort to provide transparency or accountability or fiscal responsibility,” said Mills. “An audit of this magnitude could also get really expensive which is not fiscally responsible, especially if it’s unwarranted.”

Parent Rasheena Wilson pointed out the shift in seating, calling the adjustment a divide and also expressed concern about the call for a forensic audit. “As a parent, I am deeply invested in the quality of education and the responsible management of our district resources,” said Wilson. “I believe this matter deserves careful consideration.”

The resolution calling for the authorization to issue a request for proposal for a forensic audit would review all areas of the district including the district’s Capital Project and Energy Performance Contract. The resolution was postponed following a board vote.

Investopedia, an online financial reference site, defines a forensic audit as an audit that examines financial records to find evidence used in legal proceedings. A forensic audit is “often conducted to prosecute a party for fraud, embezzlement, or other financial crimes,” the site explains. Several cases that would require a forensic audit would be corruption, asset appropriation or financial statement fraud.

According to the board’s legal counsel, David Shaw, an annual external audit is upcoming and others may be planned later. With regards to the postponement of the motion, it was clarified that it could be brought back at a subsequent board meeting. There is no time limit per se on motions.

Another proposed resolution called for approval of meeting locations for the 2024-2025 school year that would rotate beginning in September. The locations of those meetings were still being determined. The resolution failed Tuesday night by a vote of 5-4.

Former Board Member David Rein spoke in favor of the item which would see the locations of the meetings changing during the year, “in the interest of equity, where everyone gets a fair shot.”

Collins, who was the last speaker on agenda-specific items, concurred with the idea of offering meetings at different buildings while also publicly calling for Bello’s resignation. “I am asking today for your resignation,” Collins said. “I will get every single signature from every single person that I know and I know more people than you do, for the record.”