The Bloomfield Board of Education has officially appointed a new acting superintendent after the current superintendent took an abrupt leave of absence.
In a meeting on Tuesday night, the board said Dr. Bethany Silver will serve as the district's acting superintendent. It comes as the district considers termination of Superintendent James Thompson.
The school district said Thompson "has abruptly taken voluntary leave without a fixed return date."
NBC Connecticut Investigates obtained documents that indicate Thompson signed an agreement in May that laid out a retirement plan, that some town leaders say they should have signed off on.
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Town officials familiar with the situation say this was done without their knowledge by former board chair Don Harris.
Harris tells NBC Connecticut Investigates he let the full school board know about it at the time this agreement was reached, and what he did was legal.
The school board has not commented on why it is considering Thompson’s removal.
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During Tuesday's meeting, the board said Silver has worked in Bloomfield for over 10 years from 2011 to 2021, where she served as assistant superintendent for accountability and performance.
"Dr. Silver's long-term prior service to Bloomfield, her strong background in education and focus on improving student performance, positions her well to assume this role," Bloomfield Public Schools said in a statement.
Silver will assume the role effective immediately.
