The Middletown Public Schools superintendent was fired following a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening, where officials said the termination was the result of a contract violation unrelated to his DUI arrest in Florida over the summer.
The board’s decision came after it went into executive session for almost two hours. The emergency meeting was called after board members were notified by the Connecticut State Department of Education that Alberto Vázquez Matos allowed his superintendent credentials filed with the state to lapse in September.
“By the terms of his contract, his employment has been terminated by his own actions,” board member Chris Cardella said at the meeting.
Vázquez Matos was placed on paid leave on Nov. 13 after the board held a special meeting where it went into executive session for nearly three hours. Following that unanimous decision, Cardella issued a statement saying recent reports of Vázquez Matos’ DUI arrest were taken into consideration. The decision to terminate him this week, however, was the result of his contract violation stemming from the lapse in credentials, according to the board.
The Board of Education is expected to meet again on Thursday and name an interim superintendent while the search for someone to permanently take on the role ensues.
Vázquez Matos, 51, was charged with driving under the influence and holding a valid driver’s license in both Florida and Connecticut following an incident on July 29 shortly before 11:30 p.m., according to a citation issued by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. During the encounter, he allegedly refused to take a breathalyzer test, Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts records show.
Vázquez Matos has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is scheduled to appear before a judge on Dec. 10, records show. He had been with the school district since 2021 and served as the acting superintendent before he was appointed the role permanently in 2022.
The attorney representing Vázquez Matos in his DUI arrest has not responded to requests for comment.