LAWRENCE — The School Committee's attorney Namoi Stonberg issued a brief statement yesterday explaining last month's vote by the committee in executive session to have suspended Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy begin using his accrued vacation pay.
"As of August 24, 2009, Dr. Laboy has been directed to utilize his accrued vacation," Stonberg wrote in a press release faxed to The Eagle-Tribune.
"The school district, under state law and Dr. Laboy's employment contract, is required to pay him for his accrued vacation. The use of vacation as opposed to administrative leave with pay will reduce the District's financial liability," the attorney wrote.
The committee voted unanimously at its June 25 meeting to place Laboy, 58, of Methuen, on paid administrative leave for 60 days, pending the outcome of an investigation launched by Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett's office into alleged financial wrongdoing.
Several School Committee members this week said that they had been advised by their lawyer to refrain from further comment about Laboy during the ongoing investigation. They also told a reporter that Stonberg would be issuing a formal statement on their behalf. Some committee members and school officials have already been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury
Stonberg referred to the ongoing investigation in her statement.
"The School Committee takes the investigation surrounding Dr. Laboy very seriously and does not want to impede and/or interfere with the criminal investigation," Stonberg said.
"We hope that the investigation will proceed quickly so that the School Committee can make a determination relative to Dr. Laboy's status with the District," she said.
