Norwich ― The Board of Education on Wednesday agreed with a teachers’ union recommendation to hire an outside firm to study an alleged toxic work environment but will not seek input from the union in selecting a firm.

The day after the board voted late Wednesday to hire a consultant to investigate the work climate and culture in city schools, teachers’ union officials expressed concern they had not been consulted about the selection.

Michael Casey, the Connecticut Education Association representative communicating the concerns of the Norwich Teachers League to the board, told The Day on Thursday evening that the union had not been contacted by the board.

The CEA on Monday submitted results of surveys of 233 current teachers and 64 former Norwich teachers in which they overwhelmingly agreed with statements saying Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow fosters an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. A majority of former teachers responded that a poor work environment caused them to leave the Norwich district.

The union recommended hiring an outside consultant mutually agreed upon by the school board and the union to investigate allegations of a toxic work environment.

The board voted unanimously late Wednesday to authorize Vice Chairman Mark Kulos to select a firm following a more than 90-minute executive session to discuss Stringfellow’s performance evaluation.

Kulos said Friday the board will not consult with the teachers’ union or Stringfellow’s administration in selecting a firm. Kulos will work with the board’s attorney, Peter Maher, to identify a firm that specializes in work climate investigations.

“It will be independent. It will be unbiased,” Kulos said, “not connected with Norwich, or with the board or any teachers or any union influence or anybody associated with administration.”

Kulos said the board appointed him alone to select the firm to limit the board’s influence on what firm is chosen. He said, if necessary, he will recuse himself from voting on any report or recommendations the firm presents.

Kulos said he hopes to have a firm selected within the next two weeks, but the investigation might have to wait until late August, when school employees return from summer break. The board did not vote on specific funding for the study. Chairman Robert Aldi said after the meeting that the board will find money in the tight 2023-24 budget to pay for the study.

“If the Norwich Board of Education really wants to know why so many valuable staff, including veteran and well-respected educators, are leaving the district to work elsewhere and why families are so upset, they must quickly retain a truly independent investigator with input from the employee unions,” Casey wrote in an email to The Day.

Casey wrote that current employees will not speak out if the consultant does not offer them anonymity and protection from potential retaliation. If the study is seen as an extension of the administration, employees will see it as “a charade and complete waste of time,” Casey wrote.

Kulos said the CEA did not consult with the Board of Education until the surveys were completed and submitted. He said the board still has not received complete results of the surveys of current and former teachers.

Union leaders said previously they could not release individual responses to questions and comments provided by respondents, because the answers could identify the person.

c.bessette@theday.com