BEL AIR, Md., (Jan. 21, 2026) - The Harford County Council on Tuesday failed to approve County Executive Bob Cassilly’s emergency appointment of former school board member Terri Kocher to fill an unexpected vacancy following the resignation of school board member Aaron Poynton. The open seat potentially leaves the school board deadlocked on whether to renew Superintendent Sean Bulson’s contract, which must be decided by March 1.

Bulson is on administrative leave following the public release of a 911 call he made during a taxpayer-funded trip to a 2024 education conference in New Orleans. In his call to police, Bulson admitted to inviting a woman he did not know into his hotel room late at night and claimed he was robbed of school and personal property.

County Executive Cassilly issued the following statement in response to the council vote:

“Our beloved public schools have been disgraced by the actions of Superintendent Bulson. Amid this chaos, Terri Kocher stepped forward as a steady hand with a wealth of knowledge and a record of fiscal responsibility from her prior service on the school board. I am deeply disappointed that she was outrageously maligned by council members who parroted talking points from the teachers’ union, which supports Bulson and his out-of-control budgets.

Councilmember Alison Imhoff said last night that Ms. Kocher knew about the woman in the superintendent’s hotel room before it was made public. This is false.

Councilmembers Imhoff and Jessica Boyle-Tsottles recited the notion that anyone on the New Orleans trip was unfit to serve. This was a legitimate conference hosted by the National School Boards Association and it is ridiculous to assert that Harford County attendees who had no direct knowledge of Bulson’s activities are somehow culpable.

Along with Council President Pat Vincenti, these council members also called for an ‘open application process,’ in accordance with teachers’ union talking points, knowing full well that I followed the procedure detailed in state law in making this interim appointment and I had also allowed for an open application process just six months ago. In that process we received 50 applications, which remain active.

When the time came for the council’s decision last night, Mr. Vincenti initially declined to vote until it became clear that Ms. Kocher’s appointment would fail. Once his political backers were appeased, he meekly voted “yes,” fooling no one about where he really stands.

I would like to thank councilmembers Giangiordano and Reilly for their thoughtful and genuine votes in favor of immediately filling this vacancy.

In the absence of leadership on the County Council, I will be contacting the Maryland Superintendent of Schools to request the removal of Superintendent Bulson.

I will also be working to fill the void created by the council’s inaction. Anyone who did not apply previously and is interested in serving on the school board may fill out the form on the county website.”

Applications are available at https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/1178/Boards-Commissions-Under-County-Executiv .