Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmbEr 10, 2023 Report on investigation into conduct of Saugus Schools Superintendent McMahon details reasons for her fi ring By Mark E. Vogler A school administrator that ex-Superintendent Erin McMahon hired to be her deputy superintendent made the initial allegations that led to her fi ring last week. In early January, Deputy Superintendent Margaret Ferrick contacted the School Committee Attorney, Howard Greenspan, and “specifically raised concerns that Superintendent McMahon had (1) directed District employees to pay the invoice of a consultant even though there were concerning expenses included like alcohol, (2) directed the consultant to revise the invoice so it would not show such expenses, (3) a confl ict of interest with Relay (Graduate School of Education), and (4) spent an excessive amount of time out of district,” according to the report that the School Committee used as grounds to fi re McMahon. McMahon, who had been hired on a five-year million dollar contract to help lead Saugus Public Schools from the bottom 10 percent of the state’s public school system to a much improved one, was fi red last week. She had been on paid administrative leave since January, soon after Ferrick raised questions about the superintendent’s conduct. At last week’s (Nov. 2) School Committee meeting, Committee Chair Vincent Serino read from the executive summary of a detailed report which outlined the School Committee’s case against McMahon. “There’s a lot of things in there that are compelling, in the overall body of the report,” Serino said in an interview this week. “I don’t think it’s just one thing. At the end of the day, we’re responsible to the taxpayers, residents and students. This wasn’t something that came from the School Committee. We didn’t ask for this. It was brought to us from a whistleblower,” he said. These are highlights from the report which were the basis for the School Committee voting to fi re McMahon: –The superintendent had a A CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Ex-School Superintendent Erin McMahon walked the table where the School Committee sat as she tried to make her case as to why she should not be fi red. (Courtesy photo of Saugus TV to The Saugus Advocate) longstanding relationship with Relay, performed paid consulting services for Relay, which she did not disclose to the School Committee nor did she submit any conflict of interest disclosure about said consulting until April 6, about 15 minutes before she was scheduled to be interviewed in connection with this investigation and more than a year after her initial consulting services were provided to Relay. –McMahon also received gratis professional development training from Relay, which she did not disclose to the School Committee nor reference in her confl ict of interest disclosure. Superintendent McMahon retained Relay to provide professional development services for the District at a cost of $84,000, of which $56,000 was contracted for and paid out after she performed her initial consulting services for Relay, representing tuition costs for four individuals to attend professional development training in New Ex-Saugus School Superintendent Erin McMahon addressed the School Committee last week before the committee voted unanimously to fi re her. (Courtesy photo of Saugus TV to The Saugus Advocate) York City and Denver, Colorado, and does not include any expenses paid directly to those individuals in connection with their attendance at that program. –The superintendent either intentionally or negligently permitted a professional development provider (ExcelINVESTIGATION | SEE PAGE 5 SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available Sabatino Insurance is proud to welcome the loyal customers of PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM
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