In a relatively rare happening in state educational circles, the Brookfield Board of Education will begin tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Brookfield High School library will open a hearing - one that will be held in public session - to determine whether or not they will vote to terminate the contract of Schools Superintendent Tony Bivona.
Bivona, 62, was placed on paid administrative leave last month and the board has charged him with financial mismanagement that they state warrants possible termination of his employment contract that is now slated to expire on June 30, 2016. Bivona is defending himself against the charges, and opted to have his contractually guaranteed hearing in public session.
Bivona’s attorney, Leon Rosenblatt of West Hartford, has maintained that Bivona’s job was not to be an accountant, and that he was not properly apprised of former Director of Finance Art Colley’s accounting protocols and unaware that he was violating state regulations. Colley was forced to resign his position in February.
Rosenblatt has stated that Bivona quickly worked to remedy the auditors’ concerns once they were revealed, and that included initiating a number of financial safeguards to assure no further budget shortfalls would occur.
The Bivona hearing is likely to extend beyond tonight as there are numerous witnesses expected to be called. Once the hearing process is concluded, the board will have 15 days to reach a decision.