The York school board’s director of education — cited numerous times in a scathing report for his conduct and lack of leadership — has been given until Tuesday to respond to calls for his dismissal, but observers say even if he doesn’t step down, his days are numbered.

In J. Philip Parappally’s 10-year contract with the board, which also has a subsequent “job for life” clause, the York Region District School Board has the right to fire him for cause, or, “in its absolute discretion, for any reason,” give him a year’s pay and show him the door.

An independent job performance appraisal is also on the horizon, after being ordered by the education minister, which is be completed by the end of May.

In many ways, however, “the performance appraisal has already been done — in public,” said Charles Pascal, a former deputy minister of education who is now a professor in the University of Toronto’s education faculty.

The blistering report from two provincial reviewers slammed Parappally’s unusually long contract and the promise of a supervisory position at the end, and noted most senior staff do not have confidence in him as a leader.

The reviewers heard from parents who say he treated them with disrespect, fostered a “culture of mistrust” among senior educators, ordered staff to spy on one another, and that overall “the administrative side of the school board is struggling . . . suffering from damaged relationships, low morale, mistrust and a lack of strong, principled leadership.”

At a board meeting Wednesday night, sources told the Star that trustees voted unanimously in private to call on him to resign before they begin the “laborious and complex” process of firing him for cause. But before they could hand him the notice to dismiss in writing, he left the room, sources say.

Parappally must respond after the Easter long weekend, by Tuesday’s board meeting.

His contract states that if he is dismissed for cause, it can be done so “without notice or pay.”

He could not be reached Thursday for comment. Board spokesperson Licinio Miguelo said the director was “scheduled out of the office,” and had not replied to messages.

After the report was released, Education Minister Mitzie Hunter ordered the board to complete a “360” performance review of Parappally by the end of May. They were also told to create a clear process for the hiring and monitoring of the director position.

“The trustees have the authority to address the director’s contract; that is something that would be up to the trustees,” she told the Star Thursday when questioned about trustees’ asking him to resign.

“My focus is on the board fulfilling the 22 directions that I have provided. I know they have already started on that, and I’m looking forward to them continuing to follow that path.”

In the report, some of the interviewees said the controversial hiring of Parappally was believed to be “the cause of, and the beginning of, much of the difficulty the school board is currently facing.”

Hunter has told trustees to renegotiate his contract and ‘job for life’ clause, as well the independent performance appraisal.

Pascal said the board, however, must do more than deal with issues around the director, given the myriad troubles outlined by the reviewers, including trustees who are unclear of their role and responsibilities, and who failed to act after high-profile incidents of anti-black racism and Islamophobia.

“If the focus is just on the director and there’s no real reflection . . . you can’t transition to a better future unless the (trustees) really understand how they messed up in the hiring, monitoring and the contract itself,” he said.

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“I would put my money on, down the road, some form of supervision to reflect and just to ensure that the board as a whole really understands what good governance looks like.”

He said Hunter has “been very patient . . . (and moving) step by step according to the Education Act.”

Board Chair Loralea Carruthers said trustees are “united, working together on a clear path” and acting quickly.

“We are committed to moving forward in an open and transparent manner to restore public confidence in our board and ensure we are providing our students with a safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environment,” she said in a statement.

She has refused to comment on the director’s future because it is a personnel matter.

However, the board did report that in a private session, trustees “approved the motion regarding a personnel matter.”

Parents continue to call for Parappally to resign, saying he must go if the board is ever to get past its difficulties.

Parappally was given an unheard-of 10-year contract under then-chair Anna DeBartolo without any real performance review. Parappally was also guaranteed a job for life with the board after the deal expired, according to a copy of his contract obtained by the Star last April.

Sources have told the Star Parappally was negotiating an exit strategy with the province before the report’s release, though it fell through after he made unreasonable demands for a payout.

Parappally, who was hired in 2014, still has seven years on his contract. He earned $259,000 last year.