No changes are coming to Lehighton Area School District’s policy on the midyear removal of a board president.

The discussion took center stage Monday night after what director Joy Beers, who currently holds the president role, said was a “community member’s complaint.”

The existing policy, as written in Policy 005, states that “board officers serve at the pleasure of the board,” suggesting that the board has the authority to make changes to leadership.

However, Beers cited a legal precedent that could limit the board’s ability to remove a president midyear. She referenced the Montemuro v. Jim Thorpe Area School District case in which the court ruled in favor of a board president who was removed from office midyear, determining that due process had not been followed.

“It is now considered case law, and a board president cannot be removed in the middle of the year,” Beers said.

Director Duane Dellecker opposed the idea of a midyear removal option.

“You have reorganization for a reason,” he said. “Unless you have justification for another reorganization in midyear, it should not happen.”

Beers stated that she brought the issue forward to allow the board to consider it as a governance matter, rather than as a personal concern.

“Since I’m currently assuming the board president, I’m going to abstain completely from this, which is the reason why I brought it forward,” she said. “If I were to not bring the suggestion to the board, it could be construed as I’m trying to protect myself and not allow myself to be removed.”

Ultimately, there was no strong consensus among board members to pursue changes to the policy.

Superintendent Jason Moser said if any such action were to ever occur, it would need to follow due process.

“There would have to be a series of charges essentially that the board is making and then an opportunity for the individual to provide their side in a public session,” he said.