Former Pocantico School Superintendent has Doctorate Revoked

The Journal News has reported that the ex-superintendent of the Pocantico Hills Central School District, Fred Smith, has had his doctorate degree revoked.

Smith resigned from his position at the school in November 2009 in a mutual agreement between himself and the school board. A condition of the contract stated that both parties would not discuss the reasons for the departure. 

However, the Journal News soon discovered through some digging that Smith had plagarized portions of his doctorate. Recently, "Smith had his credentials rescinded by the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education," the report stated. 

You can read the full story here. 

Smith came to Pocantico Hills from New Rochelle, where he was  an assistant superintendent. He was an elementary school principal in White Plains prior to that. 

Smith received $80,000 from the district as part of his severance agreement when he stepped down in Novemeber.

Jay Scotto-Friedman took control of the district as the interim superintendent after Smith's departure. 

According to the Pocantico Hills Central School District website, a new superintendent has been found after an exhaustive search. The individual is in final negotiations (.pdf) for the position.

The name of the individual has not yet been released.