Union claims stall; school administration sees a lengthy process

Jack Duranceau, outgoing president of the Arlington Education Association (AEA), and his successor, Ron Colosi Jr., have said at public meetings that the attorneys for the schools are causing unnecessary delays. Superintendent Nate Levenson wrote in an e-mail June 10, "We are not delaying the process. It is just a slow process."

Both sides agree that five sessions have been held to hear testimony about the Aug. 9 dismissal of Coughlin, a technology-education teacher who had worked for the Arlington public schools since 1999. He was terminated from his position after an investigation by the School Committee attorney said he had used a school computer to forge e-mails and carry out "an inappropriately intimate relationship" on the schools’ e-mail system.

The five dates set for upcoming arbitration sessions are June 18 and 19, July 24, Aug. 5 and Sept. 10, Levenson wrote.

It took nearly a month to learn this basic information about the case. YourArlington first asked the key figures involved May 16. Reflecting the caution surrounding this case, Duranceau provided answers June 2 to most questions asked, but he declined to "list all the dates or state chapter and verse." He  wrote that he was unsure how the information would be used.

On May 13, during the public-participation part of the meeting, Duranceau spoke to the School Committee. He registered dismay about what he saw as the slow pace.

YourArlington asked both sides to provide their views about the length of arbitration.

Duranceau wrote June 2: "The manner of the delay is that 4 or 5 dates are suggested by the arbitrator, and the SC attorneys are the only ones with apparent conflicts. Arbitrations do take a long time because delay is a common strategy by the school systems.

"My problem with this particular delay is that I think that the arbitration is unwinnable for the school system and that more money will have to be paid in penalties (back pay and legal fees) and for the extended process, itself."

Eight days later, Levenson answered questions posed in mid-May: "Based on the experience of our attorneys, and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Coughlin arbitration is moving at a typical pace, but will likely have a few more sessions than most dismissal arbitrations."

He wrote that hearings in the Coughlin matter had been held on Jan. 15, March 3, 25, 31, and May 31.

He added: "The arbitration process is a slow process. Typically only one or two sessions can be scheduled per month. If a session must be cancelled, then we can lose a month. To date, 2 session have been cancelled.

"One for a serious personal matter, and one for sickness. It is in the school district's interest to resolve the matter sooner, rather than later. We are not delaying the process. It is just a slow process."