The Pine-Richland school directors will meet April 27 to fill a vacancy on the school board created by a board member who resigned amid the controversial firing of football coach Eric Kasperowicz.

The board voted unanimously during a special meeting on Friday to accept the resignation of school director Ben Campbell, who was in the final year of his first four-year term as the representative for Region 1, which covers the western third of the district.

The April 27 livestreamed meeting to replace Campbell will be held at 7 p.m.

Instructions for attending will be posted on the district’s website prior to the meeting.

Campbell did not attend the April 16 virtual meeting — and the board provided no explanation for his departure — but his decision to step down came after several days of sharp criticism of the school board and district administration after Kasperowicz’s one-year contract was not renewed.

Campbell was already cross-filed to seek both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the May 18 primary when he resigned.

He said he is no longer running for the seat, though his name will still appear on the ballot.

“I have withdrawn from the race for personal reasons,” he told the Trib. “It’s too late to remove my name from the primary ballot, but I have ended my campaign and will remove myself from the November ballot if I should win either primary.”

While school officials have not provided an explanation for why Kasperowicz was terminated, administrators spent the past several weeks questioning current and former football players about allegations of hazing or misconduct in the football program.

Kasperowicz, his coaches and a number of current and former players have pushed back against the allegations, saying bullying and hazing never occurred and that the firing was a vendetta being carried out by district administrators.

Hundreds of students rallied at the high school Friday in support of Kasperowicz, and parents have called for the coach and his staff to be reinstated.

Kasperowicz confirmed to the Trib that he has reapplied for the position, which was posted last week.

In a show of solidarity, Don Holl, the athletic director/football coach for the Gateway School District, sent an email to fellow members of the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association urging his colleagues to not apply for the open job.

A change.org petition to reinstate the entire coaching staff had garnered nearly 7,500 signatures as of noon Monday.

District officials are accepting applications until noon on April 26 from people interested in the Region 1 board position.

Qualifications for serving on the board and information about applying are available on the district website.

The candidate appointed to the post will serve the remainder of Campbell’s term, which expires on Dec. 5, 2021.

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