The Warwick School Department has posted the position of director of human resources, a job that had been held by Rosemary Healey until she was placed on paid leave on Nov. 16.

The posting comes following the 3-2 vote of the School Committee on Jan. 19 on the non-renewal of the contract of an unnamed employee. At the same meeting during open session, by a 5-0 vote, the committee voted to terminate the contract of an employee.

That employee is believed to be Mario Atoyan, the Gorton science teacher who was placed on non-paid leave following his arrest last May on charges of first- and second-degree sexual assault involving a 15-year old North Kingstown girl in 2014.

Neither employee’s name was disclosed to the public, and Superintendent Philip Thornton chose not to comment about either employee when asked about the committee’s actions on Friday.

He explained the difference between termination of a contract and non-renewal, saying that termination is based on “just cause,” whereas the standard for non-renewal is that the department can find someone better for the job.

School Committee vice chair Eugene Nadeau said yesterday that he and member Terri Medeiros voted to keep Healey in the job.

“She’s a very smart individual,” Nadeau said. He explained his issue was when Healey filled both positions as human resources director and legal counsel, which he considered a conflict of interest. Those positions were bifurcated last spring when the committee retained Andrew Henneous as its legal counsel.

Nadeau said Healey read a four-page review of her life that “was very moving” during executive session prior to the vote. He said he feels she deserved a “second chance,” and that she would have been an asset over the next three years of consolidation.

Nadeau said he wouldn’t be surprised if Healey challenges the committee’s action.

Healey’s attorney, Jeffrey Sowa, did not return a call.

Under the job description posted with the listing of the vacancy, the director of human resources is “responsible for the hiring, staffing, training, benefits, wellness, safety, compensation, employee relations, evaluating employee performance, discipline while adhering to all Federal and State laws and RIDE regulations.”

The listing also includes 18 “essential functions,” ranging from the administration of the human resources budget, oversight of employee benefits, development, and administration of standards and criteria for employee performance and benefits, to direction of activities related to labor relations and grievance administration and consulting with the department’s legal counsel as needed.

Thornton said the list of responsibilities is consistent with the job definitions for human resources directors in school districts throughout the state, and that he had not tailored it to Warwick.

The job is advertised to pay “commensurate with School Committee Administrative Policy.” Warwick school administrative directors’ pay range is $113,000 to $121,000.

According to the School Department, Healey is still on the payroll at $121,612 a year. Her contract expires Aug. 31, 2016.