The Stamford Board of Education has canceled its Thursday night meeting to go over the investigation into a student-teacher sex case at the high school and "avoid impacting upcoming disciplinary proceedings," according to a spokesperson for the school system.
Earlier this month, the board said the school district mishandled the investigation into the relationship between former English teacher Danielle Watkins and a high school students with whom she had sexual relations. Watkins is now serving a five-year prison sentence.
The school principal and vice principal were placed on leave and charged with failing to report the relationship.
A press release from the school system says the superintendent is now "pursuing the termination of SHS employees" through contractual grievance procedures or proceedings under the state tenure law.
The board will decide at the end of the process whether the terminations are warranted, but a spokesperson for the school system said it could take months to reach that point.
"We have determined that addressing the report outside of these specific procedures, and particularly before any such discipline has been issued, could negatively impact and potentially compromise such proceedings," Board of Education President Jackie Heftman said in a statement Wednesday. "“Among other concerns, the BOE wishes to avoid the potential for any violation of the constitutional, statutory, and contractual due process rights of the SPS staff. Therefore, we concluded it would not be prudent or appropriate to go forward with Thursday’s meeting that would have addressed the Investigative Report and/or its contents."
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