NORWICH – The Norwich City School District Board of Education convened at its regular meeting last evening where over 50 members of the public attended to voice concerns over the passing of personnel recommendations.

The board voted 4-2 to table personnel recommendations until a special Board of Education meeting set for 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22. This after BOE Vice President Jennifer Collins said she wasn't familiar with some of the names on the personnel recommendations sheet.

The personnel recommendations comprised teaching appointments, fall coaching appointments, and winter coaching appointments in one item on the agenda.

Superintendent Gerard O'Sullivan asked if the board would consider appointing at least the teaching staff, since the start of the 2017-18 school year is less than a month away.

“I have teachers that we have to get appointed, and an assistant principal we have to get appointed. That has been on [the personnel recommendations] since last meeting,” said O'Sullivan. “Nothing's changed. We have to hire staff, school is starting in 20-odd days. I would like to at least appoint the teaching staff.”

Board of Education President John Klockowski said that it's the Superintendent's responsibility to run all personnel recommendations through the personnel committee, and that he hadn't done so. O'Sullivan said that the board never asked to see it, to which Klockowski replied, “It's a given. We're asking now.”

O'Sullivan was adamant that the role of the personnel committee was never formally decided and subsequently adopted by the board, and so to say that he was holding up the process is false.

It was settled that the matter would be further considered at a special board meeting on Tuesday. Board member Roz DeRensis noted it's an inconvenience to the public to hold meetings at 7:30 a.m., but Collins said that is typically the time the board holds special meetings.

Board member Don Chirlin noted that most of the people in the room were there to support Norwich girls varsity basketball coach Josh Bennett. It was never formally identified why Bennett's assumed appointment would be in question, but the board alluded to “rumors” in the community, and exploring the “whole story.”

This didn't sit well with the public in attendance, some of whom accused board members of avoiding transparency and promoting their personal agendas above the interests of the public.

Before the public comment portion of the meeting opened, an open dialogue between the board and attendees arose. In response to hecklers in the audience and before banging the gavel, Klockowski invited some attendees to “Pony up and run [for board] yourself.”

Collins offered an emotional reply to being accused of having an agenda.

“To have someone think we are running our own personal agendas is wrong," she said. "You are our guests. Did we not come out last year and vote 6-0 in favor of Mr. Bennett?”