NAZARETH, Pa. — The Nazareth Area School Board parted ways with its superintendent Tuesday evening and inked his top lieutenant to a five-year contract to lead the district.
The board approved a separation agreement with Superintendent Richard Kaskey by an 8-0 vote.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kaskey will receive paid administrative leave from Aug. 5 to Oct. 15, before resigning from his position. The board offered no explanation for the departure, but Board President Linda Stubits described it as a mutual decision.
"The School Board extends its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kaskey for his dedicated service and leadership during his tenure with the Nazareth Area School District and wishes Dr. Kaskey all the best in his future endeavors," Stubits said.
Kaskey and the board felt that it was in the interest of the district, its staff and students to promote Assistant Superintendent Isabel Resende to superintendent to ensure a smooth transition, Stubits said.
The financial terms of Resende's new contract or Kaskey's separation agreement were not released during the meeting.
"The School Board extends its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kaskey for his dedicated service and leadership during his tenure with the Nazareth Area School District and wishes Dr. Caskey all the best in his future endeavors."Board President Linda Stubitz
Kaskey, who previously served as assistant superintendent for the Susquehanna Township School District, took over as superintendent in 2022 following the retirement of Dennis Riker.
His tenure in Nazareth coincided with fierce debates over culture war staples including a proposed policy to notify parents if their children requested to change their pronouns at school and an effort to ban controversial books from the public library.
Kaskey, who did not attend the meeting, opposed removing books such as "Push," "Crank," "Sold" and "Boy Toy" from the district's libraries.
The novels tackled adult themes, including physical and sexual abuse, slavery and drug addiction, and drew the ire of local members of "Moms For Liberty," a conservative political organization.
While the group bills itself as an organization fighting to preserve traditional family values and quality education, opponents have labeled Moms for Liberty as an antigovernment group seeking to undermine education and restrict LGBTQ+ rights. The 2023 election cycle saw Moms for Liberty candidates campaign for school boards in parts of the Lehigh Valley, but Nazareth was one of the few places where those candidates won at the polls.
Resende has worked for the Nazareth Area School District since 2008 with the last 11 years as assistant superintendent, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The school board Tuesday night also appointed Stuart Whiteleather as chief operating officer, retroactive to July 1 and for five years; and appointed human resources director Rosario Amato Jr. as chief personnel officer under the same time frame.
