After a lengthy discussion Wednesday afternoon, the Harford County Board of Education failed to pass a motion to fund and conduct an investigation into the conduct of Superintendent Sean Bulson, then voted to go into a closed session to discuss “employee discipline.”

The school board spent about 45 minutes debating details of a motion made by Mark Korn, one of the board members appointed by County Executive Bob Cassilly, who himself has called for Bulson’s resignation after a recording of a 911 call to New Orleans Police in April 2024 surfaced Tuesday. In the call, a man who says he is Sean Bulson reported a theft of about $8,000 from his hotel room by an unknown woman.

Bulson was attending a professional education conference in New Orleans on the same day as the 911 call.

Bulson’s contract with Harford Schools, which is set to expire June 30, states that the Board of Education may unilaterally terminate it with 30 days’ notice, but would be required to pay Bulson his salary and benefits through the end of June. Bulson’s current salary is $293,220.

The school board may also fire Bulson for “immorality, misconduct in office, insubordination, incompetency or willful neglect of duty,” but the state superintendent has to approve that decision.

On Wednesday Korn’s motion to “approve, conduct and fund” an investigation to determine whether any employee of Harford County Public Schools engaged in “acts of malfeasance” while serving in an official capacity working for the Board of Education failed in a 5-2 vote. Board members Korn, Carol Mueller, Melissa Hahn, Diane Alvarez and Lauren Paige in favor, and Carol Bruce and Denise Perry against. Board member Wade Sewell, board president Aaron Poynton and student board member Tray McVicker abstained.

According to Poynton, at least six affirmative votes were needed to pass the motion, since the nature of the vote was a non-policy issue and required a majority of the 10 members to pass.

Poynton said that no charges have been filed against Bulson for the allegations outlined in the New Orleans 911 call, and for that reason the board invited the student member to vote and to join a closed session held later Wednesday to discuss employee discipline.

News reports about the 911 call were published Tuesday and were followed by a number of statements from state and county officials calling for Bulson to resign or be terminated.

“School superintendent Bulson has violated the public trust,” said Cassilly in a Tuesday news release. “He must resign or be terminated by the school board.”

State Sen. Jason Gallion, a Republican who represents Harford County, said the theft report raises “serious questions about accountability” and that “at minimum, the board must not renew the current contract.

“This pattern of poor judgment, lack of transparency and repeated lapses in oversight cannot continue,” Gallion said. “As a parent who’s watched our schools slide into chaos under the current leadership, I am beyond fed up … Let’s clear the skies for HCPS once and for all.”

Other officials, such as Republican state Dels. Mike Griffith and J.B. Jennings, called for an immediate investigation into the 911 call.

Also on Tuesday Harford County Council President Patrick Vincenti, a Republican who is running for county executive this year, said he has asked County Auditor Chrystal Brooks and the state Department of Education to immediately investigate “the expenses and attendance at the educational conference held in New Orleans in April of 2024.”

“Like many of you, I am deeply disturbed by the information released earlier today by Fox45,” Vincenti wrote in the release. “If these allegations prove to be true, I fully support the resignation or removal of any Harford County Public Schools leadership and anyone else who may have been involved.”

Bulson, who was hired in 2018, has faced various calls for resignation related to school safety, including handling of last year’s fatal Joppatowne High School shooting. Most recently, Harford County Public Schools was criticized for employing a teacher aide who has active gun charges.

 Baltimore Sun reporter Bryna Zumer contributed to this story.  
 
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