LAWRENCE — Mayor Michael Sullivan said he supports buying out School Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy's contract, but wouldn't vote to kick him out of his $200,000-a-year job.
Sullivan, who chairs the seven-member School Committee, said he would refuse to cast the decisive vote if the committee holds a special session to consider firing Laboy before the end of the year.
"I wouldn't vote to fire him. Not with the information that's available right now - absolutely not," Sullivan said in an interview following last night's School Committee meeting.
Sullivan, who officially steps down after eight years in office when Mayor-Elect William Lantigua is sworn in Jan. 4, said he will stick to the advice he's received from committee attorney Naomi Stonberg: "To wait 'til the investigation is over."
Laboy, 58, of Methuen, was suspended indefinitely in late June after the Essex District Attorney's Office launched a criminal probe of alleged financial wrongdoing.
He was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but has been using accrued vacation pay since August.
Sullivan and four other committee members met in a closed door executive session prior to last night's meeting to discuss strategy on how to proceed if Laboy failed to meet today's deadline to resign set by a majority of committee members two months ago.
With Laboy's attorney Scott Gleason involved in talks with Stonberg, it's unlikely that the committee will now move ahead to fire Laboy even though the deadline has passed, Sullivan said, adding he questions whether the committee can muster the five votes needed to terminate Laboy within the short time frame.
Sullivan said he agrees with the majority of the committee that it would be in the city's best interests for Laboy to leave before the new mayor and new committee take office.
"I think it's important for the new administration to move ahead with their leadership team and focus on tests scores and attendance and all of the things that a very busy, very active city needs to focus on," Sullivan said last night.
"Personally, I think the buyout would be the prudent thing to do. I'm a fan of that. That would be the decision that I think would be healthy to the city, especially in light of the fact that a new administration takes office six weeks from now and a lot of the challenges they're going to have to face right out of the gate," he said.
Sullivan said he's unaware of any current discussions between Laboy and the city about a buyout.
"If they're happening, they're between attorney Stonberg and attorney Gleason," Sullivan said. No action was taken on Laboy as a result of last night's closed door session.
There are no plans to hold any more meetings about Laboy unless a committee member calls for one. The committee doesn't meet again until Dec. 10.
Sullivan said the public should treat recent calls for Laboy's removal by some members as political rhetoric.
"I saw a lot political jockeying during the (election) campaign and a lot of this was all show," Sullivan said.
Newly-elected School Committee member Mark Gray said he would be disappointed if the committee fails to fire Laboy before year's end.
"I don't think they have the backbone to fire the superintendent - unless the state tells them to," Gray said.
