Middletown Superintendent of Schools Amy Creeden returned to work on March 9 after the board of education approved a motion to conclude her months-long leave.
Creeden had been on administrative leave since the start of the school year, as it was announced in an Aug. 29, 2025, letter by Camille Adoma, who then became acting superintendent.
The school board voted 6-3 at the March 5 meeting. The six “yes” votes were by Edwin Estrada, John Perrino, Curtis Rhett, Denise Romero, Rose Tobiassen and John Williams. The three “no” votes were by Patricia DeJesus, Andrew Moore and Freddie Williams. Curtis Rhett and Denise Romero had earlier voted “no” on the same matter in November 2025, leading to an overall 5-4 rejection for bringing back Creeden.
“The Enlarged City School District of Middletown has been my home, my purpose, and my calling for 24 years,” said Creeden in a message posted on the school’s website. “The past several months have only deepened my commitment to this district and to every person in it.”
Why Creeden was away
The district spokesman, Kevin Witt, said in an email on March 10, “The Board and Mrs. Creeden have no additional comments at this time.”
Previously reported documents by News 12’s Blaise Gomez on X showed a 2025 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint in the works against the Middletown school district in relation to a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mentioned Creeden as one of the involved parties. The current status of this could not be verified.
Reading a written statement at the March 5 meeting, board member Tobiassen expressed her discontent with some goings on during the past several months and “board members’ special agendas,” citing the “forced” resignation of the recently elected president, and the scheduling of “special meetings” at short notice, lamenting the lack of focus on student education.
She twice acknowledged Adoma and said, “Mrs. Adoma has done an outstanding job.”
“There have been very few occasions since September that I heard the word ‘student’ or ‘education,’” Tobiassen said. “The questions that have been raised by the residents is how much have these many lawsuits cost, the externals and the internal investigation of the superintendent, the three unresolved EEOC complaints, the one notice of claim, and the current complaint to the New York State Commissioner of Education.”
Tobiassen said she was planning to ask that all monetary spending related to the lawsuits be made public, all attorneys’ costs, salaries, and other expenses.
“Let us also remember that this past June, a superintendent’s evaluation was completed by the board with outstanding marks,” Tobiassen said.
Previously, in 2022, three former district employees had sued the “the district and Superintendent Amy Creeden over alleged racial discrimination and retaliation.” That case was later settled for all three individual plaintiffs, according to Goshen attorney Michael Sussman.
What happens now?
According to Witt, Adoma — who has been the Acting Superintendent throughout Creeden’s absence — will continue working as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, a role she has held since 2021.
Creeden has been the superintendent since 2021, first serving in an interim capacity during Oct. 2021-March 2022.
Contact reporter Vandana Saras at vsaras@usatodayco.com and @orangecountynyreporter on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Middletown school board votes to reinstate Superintendent Amy Creeden
Reporting by Vandana Saras, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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