Terrance Dougherty(Salmon River Central School District)
FORT COVINGTON, New York (WWNY) – The Salmon River Central School District has a new acting superintendent as the investigation continues into the use of wooden boxes as student “calming stations.”
The board of education appointed Terrance Dougherty to the position Wednesday night.
His appointment comes during a tumultuous time for the district, which was rocked by allegations from parents that special needs students were restrained and secluded in wooden boxes at school.
The allegations, which circulated with photos on social media in December, were denied by then-Superintendent Stanley Harper. He said he knew about the boxes, but claimed they were never used.
The school board assigned Harper to home duties and, shortly before Christmas, temporarily appointed Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES District Superintendent Dale Breault to serve as acting superintendent while officials looked for a full-time leader.
The board also launched an investigation into the allegations of student mistreatment and the conduct of school administrators.
The board of education says Dougherty is a veteran school administrator who most recently served as interim superintendent at the Oxford Academy and Central School District and the Afton Central School District, both in Chenango County.
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