HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Turmoil in Harford County clouded over the district's first board meeting since Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson was placed on administrative leave.
WATCH: Harford County parents called for board of education to fire Superintendent
"The superintendent is your employee. You guys are responsible for the Superintendent," one parent told the board at Monday night's meeting.
Bulson was placed on leave following reports of a potential robbery inside his New Orleans hotel room in 2024 while attending a work conference.
Parents are worried.
"[He] put information for county employees at risk, and these are not characteristics that you want in your leadership, making bad decisions," William Martino said.
The situation spurred an investigation from the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education.
The OIGE report says Bulson's HCPS laptop and cellphone weren't stolen despite the Superintendent calling police to report them stolen.
Instead, hotel staff recovered the equipment from a safe in his room.
The report also said the district's IT department found that none of the devices security was breached.
While the OIGE report states the situation doesn't constitute fraud, waste, or abuse, an HCPS teacher said the situation has been distracting, to say the least.
"It's been a challenge to stay focused on the work, and it's disheartening knowing all the incredible things taking place that aren't the focus," she told the board.
Dr. Dyann Mack is now the interim Superintendent.
She addressed Monday night's attendees about the situation, promising honesty and collaboration.
"This moment will not define us. It is just a moment, but it is how we lead through this moment that will be our story, and I am confident that we can rebuild the trust of our community together," Dr. Mack said.
The OIGE report states the Dr. Aaron Poynton, who resigned shortly after Bulson was put on leave, knew about the incident 20 months before calling for an investigation.
Poynton sent me a statement saying affirming that saying,
"I reviewed the Inspector General’s report and affirm that it accurately reflects my recollection. The day following the alleged incident, Dr. Bulson informed me that he believed his equipment had been stolen during a robbery. I advised him to file a report, and shortly thereafter, I notified my vice president and one other Board member. The next time I spoke to Dr. Bulson, approximately two days later, he stated that the items had not been stolen but were instead misplaced in his hotel safe and recovered; because the items were not stolen, the matter did not proceed as a theft investigation. After the police audio call surfaced, I directed an investigation by the Inspector General to independently corroborate these facts. I’ve encouraged the Board to release the full report."
Poynton says his resignation is not related to this.
People at Monday's meeting are calling for the board to fire Bulson.
The county auditor and HCPS continue their investigations into the 2024 events.
