The Albert Lea School board approved the firing of an employee Monday.

Jim Quiram, director of human resources and technology for the district, declined to release the name, citing privacy laws. He said the termination was a “discipline matter.”

He declined to say what position the employee held.

Minnesota statutes spell out that employment data, such as performance reviews, are private but whether a person is in the employ of government is public information.

However, the employee isn’t completely fired. The employee does have the right under the union’s collective bargaining agreement to appeal the termination. That means when the process reaches its end the name of the employee — if the appeal fails — would be released. The board’s termination decision merely begins what could become a months-long process.