Embattled Kingston High School Principal Vincent DeCicco will step down from his position next month. The veteran school administrator has been under fire since September when he admitted using a homophobic expression in a private social media post. In a message to parents on Thursday, Kingston City School District Superintendent Paul Padalino said that DeCicco had tendered his resignation to the Board of Education at a meeting Wednesday evening.

DeCicco, who has led KHS since 2019, has been on paid administrative leave since Sept. 23. The suspension came after DeCicco admitted using a homophobic expression on his personal Facebook account. In response to a question about least favorite NFL teams, DeCicco wrote, “The Fudgepackers of course.” “Fudgepacker” is a derogatory term for gay men that is sometimes used as a derisive nickname for the Green Bay Packers NFL franchise. In an interview with the Daily Freeman, DeCicco said that the term was common usage among fans of Green Bay arch-rivals the Chicago Bears and he did not use it with any homophobic intent. DeCicco added that he had friends and family members in the LGBTQ community and apologized to anyone who was offended by the comment.

The revelation sparked an outcry from gay rights advocates and parents’ groups who called DeCicco’s remarks unacceptable and his apology halfhearted. Rob Conlon, a spokesman for the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network Mid-Hudson, which advocates for LGBTQ students in the region, stopped short of calling for DeCicco to be fired, but added that it was important that leaders be held accountable for their actions. "Creating school environments free of discrimination and hostility requires investment from every level of a school district — and the community at large," Conlon said on Thursday. "Student engagement is only one piece of the larger whole. Kingston City Schools still have a responsibility to ensure LGBTQ+ students and staff are safe, valued, and respected. To achieve that, the district must actively model and promote respect and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people from the classroom to the central office to the Board of Education."

The progressive educational advocacy group Kingston Coalition for Equitable Education wrote that DeCicco’s words called into question his fitness to lead the high school.

“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 group said in a statement. “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."

District administrators were caught off guard by the controversy. Padalino said that he learned of DiCicco’s remarks from media reports. The debate over DeCicco’s fate was also complicated by state education law and collective bargaining agreements that place strict limits on public discussion of personnel matters. In his message to parents, Padalino did not reference any discussion by the school board or negotiations with DeCicco leading up to the resignation.

While DeCicco is slated to step down from his position as KHS principal on Dec. 23, Padalino said he would continue to work for the district in a contracted position in the KCSD Department of Teaching and Learning. The position at KCSD Central Offices will involve testing, assessments and data, Padalino said.

DeCicco will remain on paid administrative leave until he starts the new position. Padalino said that the new position was part of a broader restructuring of the Central Office following the retirement of two deputy superintendents. Padalino said that he expected DeCicco to remain in the new post until July 28, 2023, at which time he would finalize the long-term restructuring plan.

“Having worked with Mr. DeCicco for 10 years, I anticipate his skills and experience with student assessments and data to be very helpful for the remainder of our school year,” said Padalino. “It is an important area for us as we continue to recover from the pandemic.”

Padalino added that acting KHS principal Tina Montano would continue in that role pending a search for a permanent replacement and that the search will begin immediately.