Palmerton Area School District is bringing in an outside attorney to help deal with an unspecified personnel matter, officials said Tuesday night.

Directors voted 8-1 to hire Christopher Lantz of Cox, Stokes and Lantz as special counsel to the board at a rate of $185 per hour.

Brandon Mazepa was the lone board member to vote against the hire.

The move was made at the recommendation of Palmerton’s current solicitor, Shawn Lochinger.

“Mr. Lantz is being brought in for a personnel matter,” Lochinger said. “I have already advised the board we can’t talk too much about it. I know it seems vague, but we can’t really respond beyond that at this point.”

Lochinger said the separate legal counsel is to avoid a potential conflict of interest depending on how the personnel matter shakes out.

“It wouldn’t be right for me to do the investigation because should there be a lawsuit of any kind at the end of the investigation, there would be a conflict,” Lochinger said. “We’re playing it very safe. You don’t want me on two sides of the same issue.”

With Lantz now on board, the district can set parameters as far the maximum amount of hours it would like him to work, Lochinger said.