New London ― An elementary school principal is on administrative leave while grievance allegations lodged against him by colleagues are investigated.

Jason Foster, who was named principal at the Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School last year, was placed on leave on June 16, according to a letter sent to him by Executive Director of Talent & Human Resources Christine Pemberton.

Superintendent Cynthia Ritchie stated the allegations against Foster came from several of his co-workers at Nathan Hale, according to a July 25 email she sent to Pemberton, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Hills-Papetti and Kate Fioravanti, the president of the administrators union. Foster was copied on the email.

Ritchie wrote the coworkers “alleged that Jason has engaged in unprofessional and discriminatory conduct.”

The Day received the email Thursday after filing a Freedom of Information request for documents involving Foster.

Ritchie wrote the district has retained the Shipman & Goodwin law firm to investigate the allegations.

“This allows professional, unbiased investigators to lead the investigation and find resolution,” she wrote. “Shipman began the investigation this week and will continue next week with the goal of a swift resolution.”

She noted Foster would meet with investigators and will be presented with “all the allegations against him.”

Ritchie declined to comment on the matter when reached by phone on Thursday.

Foster is set to earn $160,870 for the 2024-25 school year. He could not be reached to comment Thursday.

Foster, a Stonington resident and former principal in Norwich and Windham, was principal at the Harbor Elementary School from 2017 until its closure in June 2023.

Foster served as the principal at the Uncas School in Norwich from 2013 to 2016 where he led the school through a successful application to join the state Department of Education’s Commissioner’s Network, major building renovations and is credited with forging ties between the school, the Mohegan Tribe and Norwich Historical Society.

Foster, who was still listed as principal on the Nathan Hale school staff web page on Thursday, left Norwich in 2016 to serve for one year as the principal at Windham High School. Foster previously worked as the assistant principal at Teachers Memorial School in Norwich and as a teacher in Greenwich.

While on leave, Foster is barred from entering any district buildings.

j.penney@theday.com