An assistant principal in Brookfield, who ended his employment in Hermitage on a sour note will soon be leaving Brookfield Local Schools after only three years.

School directors voted 5 to 0 Wednesday not to renew the contract of Assistant High School Principal John Camuso when his contract expires July 31.

Brookfield Superintendent John White and the board refused to comment, calling it a personnel matter.

Camuso's telephone number is not published and he could not be reached for comment.

Camuso, a former assistant principal at Hickory High School, resigned that post Feb. 14, 2000, after being suspended over his handling of a bomb threat.

A student had discovered the threat scrawled on a rest room wall and told a guidance counselor, who reported it to Camuso. Camuso washed off the threat and told custodians to report any other unusual graffiti.

When Camuso didn't hear from any of them that night, he waited until the next morning to report the incident to school administrators.

When told of the threat the next day, school administrators called in Hermitage firefighters to search the building and allowed some frightened students to leave school.

Camuso was placed on a two-week disciplinary suspension for waiting a day to report the threat. At the end of his suspension he resigned, citing community pressure, inflammatory publicity and his expectation that the board would begin dismissal proceedings, although he didn't violate policy.

He was hired as assistant high school principal at Brookfield July 19, 2000, and began working Aug. 1 at a salary of $55,000.