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Massapequa BOE moves to oust MSD Superintendent Maureen Flaherty; public concerned and puzzled over surprise move to issue 30-day suspension
The board also appointed Deputy Superintendent Charles Sulc as Acting Superintendent, effective immediately. The Massapequa Post attempted to reach Flaherty for her comment or the name of her legal representative, however she did not return calls. Flaherty, who worked in the Holmdel, New Jersey school district when she applied to Massapequa for the superintendency, began serving in September 2005, replacing Superintendent Lawrence Pereira, who retired. She has one year left on her three-year contract and earns approximately $200,000 annually. A source close to the district said that the board offered Flaherty a buyout earlier but that she declined to accept it. Concerned residents and parents flooded the regularly scheduled Massapequa School board meeting the following day, hoping to get some answers. But School Board President Arlene Martin would say only that Flaherty's suspension was a personnel issue and could not be discussed in public. A call to the district's legal counsel, Richard Guercio, was not returned by press time. One resident said he was concerned that it would be taxpayers again who have to pick up the tab for the board's decision. "The district could be opening itself up for a lawsuit," he said. "We should be kept in the loop about what's going on." "We don't comment on personnel matters," said Martin emphatically. The decision by school officials not to comment on the case left the public to consider some of the circumstances responsible for the board's move. "We just don't understand," said resident Paul Dashefsky. "Test scores are up and we want to know why she was suspended. You need to be open," he told the board. Other parents were angry at the timing of the decision, saying it came a week before graduation and placing a cloud over the ceremonies. Flaherty's 30-day suspension removes her from her post, but also gives the district time to file formal charges against her, and begin the legal process to which she and the district are both entitled. Arthur Riegel has been appointed to serve as a hearing office in the disciplinary hearing scheduled pursuant to Section75 of the New York State Civil Service law. When she was hired, Flaherty said that a superintendent has to "set the tone and model of collaboration, and build accountability into what we do." Her ability to do that, however, may have fallen short, according to some sources who said that her relationship with staff had become dysfunctional. How and if that spilled over to the board is not clear, but the board's decision to act last week was likely due to the fact that Martin, who lost her bid for reelection, will be replaced on the board with newcomer Tim Taylor. "If the board was considering replacing her, they would have wanted to show a united front and did not want to take the chance that the new Trustee would not have voted with the majority for her ouster," said one educational expert who asked not to be named. "That would be one reason why they moved now, and moved quickly."
Reached for comment on Friday, Taylor said the district's test scores and performance ratings show that the issue cannot be based on Flaherty's failure to provide a sound educational program. "This would lead me to believe that the board's move was political," he said. "I would have preferred to see the district live with her another year until her contract expired, and save taxpayers the $1 million in legal fees and settlement this move is going to cost."
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