As the new school year draws near, Windham School District staff have shuffled administrators to cover for an elementary school principal on paid leave since mid-June.

Cherrie Fulton was set to take over for retiring principal Andrew Desrosiers at Windham Center School on July 1, said Windham School Board Chairman Bruce Anderson. But around June 10, Anderson said Superintendent Frank Bass became aware of certain information and re-evaluated Fulton’s status. Anderson said he could not comment further on the type of information involved.

“After the information came out, it caused (Bass) as superintendent to either get Ms. Fulton to resign or to go forward with an employment hearing,” Anderson said.

Bass did not return calls for comment.

Anderson said the board had several discussions about what to do with the principal post if Fulton resigned or was placed on administrative leave, but he said staff hoped to resolve the whole issue with an employment hearing before the School Board by mid-July.

“We weren’t going to do anything,” he said.

Fulton was placed on paid administrative leave shortly after June 10, Anderson said, and an initial employment hearing was scheduled for July 13. That first hearing was postponed one week, he said, after Fulton’s attorney, James Bianco of Concord, asked for more preparation time.

A second hearing was scheduled for July 20, but Bianco sought and received an ex parte injunction from a Rockingham County Superior Court Judge John Lewis. Bianco said the injunction was concerned with Fulton’s right to due process, but would not comment further on the details surrounding the case.

Bianco said the July 20 hearing was to be held in public, which he said Fulton has wanted from the start.

“It has always been requested by her to be public because she has nothing to hide and she wants people to know what happened,” Bianco said.

Anderson said nearly all employment hearings before the School Board are initially scheduled for nonpublic session, but that it is the employee’s right to request an open hearing.

Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Kenneth McHugh is scheduled to further consider the case with a hearing Thursday, July 29, according to court staff. But given the delays, Anderson said the board decided to shuffle some school administrators to cover for Fulton’s absence in preparation for the fall.

Windham Middle School Principal Kori Becht has taken over as acting Center School principal for the time being, Anderson said. Windham Middle School Assistant Principal Daniel Moulis will serve as the middle school’s acting principal in the interim. Kathryn Bates was recently hired from outside of the district to take on Fulton’s prior role as Center School’s assistant principal, but Anderson said the board wanted to pull someone with more experience in Windham to cover for Fulton’s leave.

Anderson said the reorganization was made final last week, given the uncertainty surrounding the July 29 court hearing.

“We don’t know what will happen and then we have the (employment) hearing following,” he said. “The superintendent had to do what he had to do to get the schools open.”