METHUEN — Maurice Lariviere, the man at the center of a sexual harassment suit that will cost the city more than $725,000, receives $61,590 in annual pension and health care benefits.
City records show Lariviere was hired as city solicitor on May 28, 1980, and contributed to the Methuen Contributory Retirement System for 27 years and eight months.
Lariviere retired at age 60 on April 1, 2009. He receives an annual city pension of $49,352.04, or $4,112.67 per month. The city also pays $12,237.76 each year for his Tufts family health plan, according to data from the Methuen retirement board.
City councilors ended a six-year legal battle Tuesday when they agreed to settle out of court with former Methuen legal secretary Fulya Metin Campanelli for $250,000. The city's legal fees to defend itself came to almost $475,000.
Campanelli was allegedly sexually harassed by Lariviere — her former boss — inside City Hall in 2005. Campanelli and her husband, Anthony, sued Lariviere and the city two years later, claiming city officials were negligent in dealing with her claims of sexual harassment.
After she complained to police, detectives used a secret camera and captured Lariviere on videotape kissing and making advances toward Campanelli in his City Hall office. Lariviere said previously his relationship with Campanelli was consensual.
The harassment occurred when Anthony Campanelli was incarcerated in federal prison for conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Campanelli and her husband now live in Hauppauge, N.Y.
Lariviere resigned as city solicitor on Feb. 16, 2005, after police confronted him with the surveillance tape.
Lariviere's pension came up last week as city councilors prepared for a settlement vote.
During a public meeting, Councilor Jamie Atkinson asked McQuillan if the city could move to take away Lariviere's pension after accepting the settlement. McQuillan said the city could not.
After the meeting, Atkinson said he asked McQuillan about Lariviere's pension because several constituents wanted to know if the city could do anything to get the money back.
"The law's the law, but I wish it was different and we could go after the pension," said Atkinson. "I don't think it's right. It wasn't the city's fault, but we are responsible."
Atkinson wasn't the only councilor contacted about Lariviere's retirement benefits.
"I've been asked the same questions," Council Chairwoman Jennifer Kannan said last week.
The Campanellis were seeking unspecified damages and attorneys' fees in their suit. Court records show Fulya Campanelli filed for bankruptcy June 6.
In a memo late last year, former mayor William Manzi wrote that the City Council's failure to accept the settlement could cost the city $1.5 million if it lost the trial.
The city has already paid the private Boston law firm Davis, Malm & D'Agostine $442,835.10 to handle the case and was recently billed an additional $32,935.50 for services in December.
Those charges, when combined with the $250,000 settlement award, total $725,770.60.
Campanelli was eventually fired by the city when she failed to return to work from 14 weeks of leave. She withdrew her $1,772.61 contribution from the Methuen retirement system in 2006.
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