<\/p>\n
The Pittston Area School Board voted 6-2 Tuesday to bring unnamed employee #040377 back from paid administrative leave, effective Wednesday, April 22.<\/p>\n
The vote \u201cauthorizes the employee\u2019s return to active status in accordance with the terms of the employee\u2019s contractual agreement and applicable district policy,\u201d according to the agenda.<\/p>\n
Board members Marissa Chiumento and Katherine Healey voted no. Board President Frank Serino was absent.<\/p>\n
Assistant Superintendent John Haas and other school officials have repeatedly declined to identify employee #040377 or confirm whether the employee is Superintendent Kevin Booth.<\/p>\n
Haas said after Tuesday\u2019s meeting he \u201ccan\u2019t comment on personnel issues or any matters of personnel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Employee #040377 has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 14. The board approved the leave at the Oct. 21 meeting<\/a>, the first meeting led by Haas in Booth\u2019s place.<\/p>\n Booth has not led a board meeting since his Oct. 6 arraignment<\/a> on a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and a summary offense of harassment stemming from a domestic dispute in which he allegedly choked his wife, according to court records.<\/p>\n Booth admitted himself to an in-patient rehab facility<\/a> following the incident, according to a civil court record.<\/p>\n The charges were dropped <\/a>on March 3 after his wife declined to proceed. A temporary protection-from-abuse order<\/a> filed by her was withdrawn Dec. 16.<\/p>\n Assistant Luzerne County District Attorney Julian Truskowski said March 3 that Booth has been in an anger management program<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the March 24 meeting<\/a>, Haas declined to comment on Booth\u2019s employment status.<\/p>\n