The attorney for the Arlington School Committee is investigating "potential inappropriate conduct" by a teacher and principal following the disclosure of a series of e-mails written on the schools' computer system. The e-mails, exchanged over several months, are between Chuck Coughlin, a tech-ed teacher at the Ottoson Middle School, and the school's principal, Stavroula Bouris.

According to the attorney, Alan S. Miller, the e-mails "strongly suggest a romantic and/or sexual relationship" between the two.

The information was provided in a July 9 letter from Miller obtained by YourArlington.com.

In June, a package of e-mails was given to school Superintendent Nate Levenson by an unnamed teacher and a second set of e-mails was left anonymously in an envelope in his office.

The e-mails not only outline the relationship that may have resulted in a conflict of interest between a teacher and his supervisor, but raise questions about Coughlin's support of Bouris during a recent controversy concerning her tenure as principal.

In a July 13 memo to the School Committee, Levinson wrote: "... at no time did I solicit or encourage the collection of these emails. At no time have I ever reviewed or asked to have reviewed emails of school employees." [Full text of memo, posted on on Advocate's blog July 17 (.pdf file)]

Levinson, who was involved in a dispute with Bouris during the school year, wrote, "Upon receiving the emails I was concerned both over the content and how they may have been obtained." He said he contacted Miller, asking if he had to act on the information provided to him and was told that failure to act could constitute gross negligence.

Miller told Levinson an investigation was needed, and the superintendent wrote that, "given recent conflicts with the parties involved, I felt that an independent investigation was warranted and I recused myself from any further involvement to the extent allowed by law."

While Miller has completed his investigation of Coughlin, he has not yet finished his inquiry regarding Bouris, because she has not had an opportunity to review the e-mails.

Efforts to reach Coughlin and Bouris, beginning June 25, have been unsuccessful. An e-mail sent to Bouris's school address July 15 yielded an autoreply saying she is out of the office until Aug. 9.

Miller says attorney Frank Mondano is representing both.

The revelation of the e-mails adds another chapter to what was a tumultuous school year involving personnel at the middle school. In March, Levenson said he would not renew Bouris's contract, which was to end in August, without specifying the reasons.

Later that month, hundreds attended a School Committee to support Bouris. Among the public backers was Coughlin, who led a protest along Mass. Ave. and questioned Levenson's tenure as an assistant superintendent in Harvard, Mass. Those charges are included on a Web site, nategate.org, linked to an Ottoson staffer.

Levenson has insisted his resume is accurate.

Following the public outcry, Levenson reversed his position, and Bouris came to terms on a contract. On April 10, the School Committee approved a two-year pact for the principal and set a series of goals she was encouraged to follow.

Then, in June, the e-mails surfaced, and Miller, the School Committee attorney, began investigating.

In the July 9 letter to Levenson, Miller wrote that the School Committee's "staff acceptable use” policy concerning e-mails makes it clear that those using the school system have no expectation of privacy." Under the acceptable-use policy, any email written on the Arlington public schools' system is considered to be a public document. Miller noted the e-mail exchanges took place mostly during school hours.

The letter from Miller also says that both Coughlin and Bouris deny that they were any more than friends, and Coughlin asserted he was only "joking around."

Miller wrote: "I have no way of being certain if there was or is a romantic and/or sexual relationship between the two, though the correspondence certainly suggests that one existed. He concludes that in any case, "Mr. Coughlin's conduct violated the acceptable use policy and further was grossly inappropriate."

The e-mails provided so far range from Oct. 30, 2006, to June 12, 2007. Most are dated April and May 2007. Miller's memo provides examples of the content:

"1. Hey beautiful, want to get naked? Chuck.

"2. Do you know what would look good on you? Me! My hot principal"

In a memo from Levenson to Miller, dated June 10, he offered examples of actions that could be the result of a conflict of interest:

-- Scheduling much less than a full teaching load for the teacher in question.

-- Supporting an interpretation of the lead teacher role that is inconsistent with past practice and all written documents.

-- Eliminating eighth-grade drama while keeping all staff in an overstaffed department.

-- Attempting to create a new course without any prior consultation with the assistant superintendent, superintendent or department head.

Miller concluded: "... with or without a sexual relationship, Mr. Coughlin's conduct violated the 'Acceptable Use Policy' and further was grossly inappropriate. If there were no romantic relationship, the conduct is even more egregious.

"The School Committee's 'Acceptable Use Policy' explicitly provides that a person violating the policy is subject to disciplinary action.

" ... I will report on Ms. Bouris after I complete my investigation of concerns about her conduct as the principal and the leader of her school."

March 10: No confidence in Levenson?

March 27: Hundreds turn out to support Ottoson principal