Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler has announced the completion of his Office’s investigation into allegations regarding the separation of outgoing Superintendent of Schools Roberto Padilla and the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.  The DA has concluded that after a thorough and complete review of direct and ancillary allegations regarding Superintendent Padilla by an experienced team of attorneys and investigators, no criminal charges will be filed as there is insufficient evidence of the violation of any criminal statute in Orange County.

“I urge all arms of local government to be transparent and accountable in the work they do for the public,” said Hoovler. “While I cannot and will not comment on the internal operations of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education, our investigation has shown that any improprieties alleged are not criminal in nature, under the laws of the State of New York.”

Padilla was placed on paid leave by the school board in August of last year, following allegations of improper conduct towards a female district employee at a conference in San Diego earlier in the year. After the board determined that the results of that internal investigation were “inconclusive,” the paid leave was extended through November of 2023. On Thursday, the school board named Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell as superintendent, effective July 1, 2022. 

While no criminal charges have been filed, Padilla, and the district have been named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by two former employees of the district: Una Miller, former Principal at GAMS Tech Elementary School, and Elizabeth Walsh, former classroom English teacher at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus. Both allege they were sexually harassed by Padilla on August 10, 2021. Both allege a subsequent pattern of harassment and retaliation that led to their respective resignations.