The fate of Kingston High School Principal Vincent DeCicco could be decided at a meeting of the Kingston Board of Education on Wednesday. DeCicco was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this week after admitting to using an anti-gay slur in a comment using a private Facebook account.

According to published reports, the controversy began last week when Kingston City School District Superintendent Paul Padalino was alerted by faculty to a comment left by DeCicco on a social media post. In response to the question, “That football team you would never support even if you were given their jersey for free,” DeCicco wrote “The Fudgepackers” — a phrase that is both derogatory slang for gay men and a derisive nickname for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

In an interview with the Daily Freeman, DeCicco admitted to making the comment but said he used it in the context of football and not as a homophobic slur.

On Tuesday, the Kingston City School Board convened a special meeting to discuss personnel matters, but it’s unclear whether it was to address the DeCicco’s post. The board has scheduled another closed-door executive session at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, immediately prior to the board’s regular monthly meeting.

On Thursday Padalino posted a message to parents addressing the situation without naming DeCicco. Instead, Padalino’s message referred to “one of our administrators” who “has acknowledged making an unacceptable comment on a personal social media account.” Padalino assured parents that the district was taking the situation seriously and that the offending administrator had been placed on paid leave pending the outcome of the district’s investigation.

But Padalino added that confidentiality laws limited what information could be released immediately. “This comment does not reflect our school district’s core values and commitment to fostering a welcoming culture for all,” wrote Padalino. The district did not respond to a request from Kingston Wire for an interview with the superintendent.

While the district continues its investigation, a local progressive school advocacy group is criticizing DiCicco for published comments in which he called the comment “off the cuff” and claimed that he had friends and family members in the LGBTQ community and did not intend to cause offense. In a statement released this week the Kingston Coalition for Equitable Education called DeCicco’s remarks a “non-apology” that failed to demonstrate that he realized the comment was unquestionably offensive.

“A principal should always be conscious of the language they use and how it affects those around them, especially the young people whose care is their responsibility,” the statement reads. “We deeply question Mr. DeCicco’s ability to be in charge of adolescents and we cannot see that the district should allow this non-apology to suffice.”