Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 16, 2023 COMMUNICATE| FROM PAGE 1 vestigation into alleged misconduct. But the attorney representing the School Committee responded in a letter warning the superintendent to stay away from the workplace or risk possible action by the committee for being “insubordinate.” The two dueling letters were exhibits in an Open Meeting Law complaint that McMahon’s Attorney, Michael J. Long, fi led against the School Committee alleging members took an improper vote during a May 30 closed door Executive Session. The agenda posted for the meeting cited “Potential Litigation and arbitration strategy” related to the superintendent. “In fact the Committee took a vote to place Erin McMahon on paid leave, thereby preventing her from returning to work on June 5, 2023, based on the four allegations originally lodged in January,” Long wrote in his complaint letter, which was recently fi led with Town Clerk Ellen Schena. “This vote violates the Open Meeting Law as it was taken without notice to the Superintendent that the Committee would take action against her based on the complaints or allegations raised in January, contrary to her rights under [Mass. General Laws],” the complaint continued. “The Committee’s posted notice and stated meeting purpose was a sham and subterfuge to prevent Erin McMahon and counsel from attending and defending against the allegations. The illegal meeting was deliberately designed to provide an improper opportunity to discuss the charges against Erin McMahon, as evidenced by the terms of the Committee’s notice, in [Exhibit 3], to her of the vote at the May 30, 2023 meeting.” Long has requested in his complaint that the Committee’s vote to place McMahon on paid administrative leave be invalidated and that she be permitted to return to work. Complaint summarizes allegations against McMahon Very little has been made public since the School Committee announced on Jan. 19 that McMahon had agreed to go on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into unspecifi ed charges. But the May 31 letter by Howard L. Greenspan, the Lynnfi eld attorney representing the School Committee, noted that “Ms. McMahon was informed on January 19, 2023 at a School Committee meeting that an investigation would be conducted relative to her administration of grant funds, confl ict of interest, billing issues with outside consultants and the time of days in the district and out of district.” This information was never discussed publicly at the Jan. 19 meeting when School Committee Chair Vincent Serino read a brief statement noting that the committee “has accepted Superintendent Erin McMahon’s agreed upon paid administrative leave” after consultation with legal counsel. Greenspan’s May 31 letter also noted “that the School Committee voted to place Erin McMahon on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of an investigation into her conduct.” In his Open Meeting Law Complaint, Long alleged that the May 30 meeting “was called in response to a letter from counsel for Superintendent McMahon (see attached Ex. 2) advising the Committee that the Superintendent was going to return to work on June 5, 2023 as she had not been provided with any information about the complaints or charges brought to her attention on Jan. 19, 2023.” Long wrote that McMahon’s Celebrate Liberty. We’ll be closed Monday, June 19th in observance of the holiday. You can access your accounts using our ATMs and Online & Mobile Banking. Thank you! paid leave status was based on “vague complaints about her performance.” “The Committee has maintained it was conducting an independent investigation of the complaints, but has not provided to the Superintendent any updates or detail to specifi cs, as required by her contract of employment,” Long wrote. “McMahon has cooperTHE TARGET OF A PROLONGED PROBE: Superintendent Erin McMahon has been on paid administrative leave for nearly fi ve months, pending the outcome of an investigation into alleged misconduct. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) ated fully with the investigation assigned by the Town (not the Committee) to investigate the concerns. There is no evidence of a vote of the Committee delegating to the Town or the Town Manager the authority to conduct an investigation into the Superintendent’s performance of her duties.” When The Saugus Advocate approached Serino about the Open Meeting Law complaint on Wednesday, the School Committee chair declined comment. The School Committee was scheduled to meet in Executive Session at last night’s meeting to discuss the Open Meeting Law complaint. Under the state Open Meeting Law, the School Committee has 14 business days from the date of receipt to meet to review the complainant’s allegations, take remedial action if appropriate, notify the complainant of the remedial action and forward a copy of the complaint and description of the remedial action taken to the complainant. The committee must simultaneously notify the state Attorney General’s Division of Open Government that it has responded to the complainant and provide the Attorney General with a copy of the response and a description of any remedial action taken. COMMUNICATE | SEE PAGE 7
3 Publizr Home