Thursday, December 21st at 630 p.m.
Board of Education, East Broadway
The Stratford Board of Education met for a special meeting Thursday night to discuss Superintendent Uyi Osunde being charged with breach of peace for an incident that happened in New Haven on November 25th.
The special meeting posted on the Board of Education website noted that it was going to be streamed via YouTube. While close to 200 people waited in line to view the YouTube video, only the final 20 minutes of the meeting was streamed. The meeting opened with an Executive Session (which is for BOE members only) for 90 minutes. The YouTube video site had turned off all comments.
After meeting in executive session to discuss the incident, and with a 4-3 vote, the board ultimately decided to place Osunde on paid administrative leave effective immediately. He was present at the meeting when the board made their decision.
Heather Borges, the school district’s current director of pupil services, will serve as interim superintendent. BOE Chairman Mike Henrick said the board’s decision to appoint her interim superintendent was based on Borges’ years of dedication and service to the district.
“We take this seriously and our first, really our only concern, is our students and to make sure our staff feels comfortable in their work environment,” Chairperson Mike Henrick said in an interview.
Some board members felt that it was a personal matter with Osunde and his wife, while others felt that he should be placed on leave while an investigation is conducted by an outside agency.
Henrick said tonight’s decision was the first step in the review process of events that unfolded prior to Osunde’s arrest. He said the Board of Education feels that putting him on leave was the best decision to make sure the moral integrity of the district remains intact. He hopes Osunde will take time to heal in his absence.
Rich Buturia was appointed to do the investigation into the incident. Buturla is a Partner in the litigation department at Berchem Moses PC.
Osunde was charged on November 25th with second-degree breach of peace in New Haven. He was released after posting 10 percent of a $2,000 bond and is due to appear in Superior Court on January 10th, 2024, according to state judicial records. Public records indicate that the arrest was in connection with a “domestic dispute.” An attorney representing Osunde, Raymond Hassett, has stated that his client denies the allegations.
Osunde is an embarrassment to the town. Concern about the trust of students and staff in certainly important and the taxes paid by the citizens who pay his salary, ane also of concern. The police recorded that he was the aggressor. He was threatening to throw the person who he was fighting, out the window. There should be no waiting for the investigation, we shouldn’t have to pay Osunde’s tremendous salary while his criminal culpability is determined. No matter who started the altercation, his integrity is in question. He should be fired.