Hudson Valley Principal Placed On Leave For ‘Unacceptable Comment’
A Hudson Valley high school principal was placed on leave for a post that included a homophobic term.
The Kingston City School District confirmed a principal acknowledged making an unacceptable comment on his personal social media account.
Kingston, New York Officials Investigate Homophobic Facebook Comment
School officials in Kingston began investigating a Facebook post made by Kingston High School Principal Vincent DeCicco. The post referenced the Kingston High School football team and included a homophobic term.
At first, school officials were trying to determine if DeCicco was behind the post or if his account was hacked. Following an investigation, school officials confirmed DeCicco crafted the post.
"As you may be aware, one of our administrators has acknowledged making an unacceptable comment on a personal social media account. The comment does not reflect our school district’s core values and commitment to fostering a welcoming culture for all," the Kingston City School District stated. "We understand that our community may have questions about this situation; however, please understand that this is a personnel matter and there are very strict confidentiality laws that limit what can be shared at this time."
Kingston, New York Principal Placed On Leave
Principal DeCicco has been placed on paid leave as officials continue to investigate, school officials confirmed.
"Please know that we are treating this matter very seriously and have placed the individual on paid administrative leave while we continue to conduct a thorough review of the situation. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we take the steps required to properly address this situation," the Kingston City School District added in its statement.
DeCiccio has not returned our request for comment on the situation, as of this writing.
For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App and sign up for the Hudson Valley Post Newsletter.
Kingston Principal Hired In 2019
DeCiccio was named the principal of Kingston High School in July 2019 after serving as Assistant Principal for 14 years and as Vice Principal for the last 2 years.
"Mr. DeCicco has 16 years of experience at Kingston High School and has been an integral part of the great strides we’ve taken there. He has intimate knowledge of the procedures, policies and programs already in place at KHS and I look forward to watching him grow in this new role,” Kingston Superintendent Dr. Paul J. Padalino said when DeCicco was hired.