LAWRENCE — The School Committee member who initiated the criminal investigation of Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy said Laboy's involvement in city politics triggered this and other probes threatening the education chief's future.

"I didn't become a School Committee member to become a School Department detective," committee member Sammy Reyes said yesterday of his whistle-blowing complaints against Laboy and others - including several of his colleagues.

"I came in so kids could get a better education. But, unfortunately, it didn't work out like that," he said.

Reyes, 38, a mail carrier in Wakefield, has turned into the superintendent's harshest critic as he winds down his second two-year term on the committee.

It was Reyes, who while working behind the scenes, helped bring to light the scandal that later led to the resignation of Laboy's special assistant, Mark Rivera. Reyes was a source for an Eagle-Tribune story in April that exposed how Rivera used the schools' LexisNexis software to run background checks - most of them inappropriate - on 400 people. The so-called "snoop list" contained the names of political candidates, celebrities, professional athletes, reporters and many other non-School Department personnel.

Reyes also filed complaints with the state Office of Political Finance, the state Ethics Commission and the state Inspector General's Office about improper use of the School Department printing press by Laboy, three current School Committee members and a former member.

On Friday, police raided Laboy's office at 255 Essex St. and seized boxes of records and various pieces of computer equipment - just a day after Reyes told detectives of Laboy's alleged involvement in "financial improprieties" - now the subject of a probe by the District Attorney's Office.

"It's not personal. I'm not out to get the superintendent," Reyes said yesterday, "I'm just holding him accountable." He produced a School Department e-mail in which Laboy asks for "forgiveness" if "you have felt 'let-down' by my conduct.

Laboy also called Reyes "honorable" while praising the committee member for his service.

Laboy had no comment last night when asked about Reyes' role, but he took offense to making his e-mail to the committee member public.

Reyes blamed Laboy's use of Rivera in "School Committee politics" as the main reason for the superintendent's current troubles, which include possible criminal prosecution.

"It all started back in 2007 when I was running for the first time, and they were abusing the printing office," Reyes recalled. "They (Rivera and Laboy's office) were printing campaign material for the incumbent Omaira Mejia. But I didn't pursue it because I won the race," Reyes said.

But after learning last fall that Rivera "was telling people he had somebody to run against me and he wanted me out so bad, I filed a complaint against his sister," he said, referring to the initial complaint he filed with the state Ethics Commission against current committee member Priscilla Baez, Rivera's sister, who also made use of the press for campaign purposes.

"The road I have traveled is the long, difficult and sometime lonely road of the whistle-blower. I hope my experience will encourage others to come forward and report any wrongdoing at the Lawrence public schools," Reyes said.

"I will hope that by me speaking out, it will keep my colleagues honest. I want them to have the courage to speak out in the public interest," he said.

Veteran member James Vittorioso credited Reyes with bringing "many possible wrongdoings" in the School Department to light.

"Sammy is a crusader, but you have to be a realist," said Vittorioso.

"He's a very idealistic person. But in this world of many evil people, you can't be idealistic. You have to be a realist."

Laboy's "Forgiveness" E-mail

Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy sent this e-mail to School Committee member Sammy Reyes on June 4. Reyes provided a copy to The Eagle-Tribune:

Sam:

Good afternoon.

For the past three weeks I have been on a journey of recovering my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I have spent time in deep spiritual reflection, prayer, and inner searching. I want to ask you to please forgive for any offense that I have committed against you. If, I in any way have offended you or hurt you, my most sincere apology. If I have disappointed you and you have felt "let-down" by my conduct, I am sorry.

I know that you are a good person, a father, a husband, a son, and an individual that wants to serve his fellow human beings. I know that serving the children and families of Lawrence was the reason why you choose to serve on the School Committee. I want to thank you for being honorable in your service.

I write this short message with the hope that I can make right whatever wrong you feel that I have committed towards you. It is clear that if your brother is offended by you - you ask him for forgiveness. Again my deepest and most sincere apology, please forgive me.

My regards to your family and mother-in-law.

Sincerely,

Wilfredo