An unidentified system technician for the Arlington public schools has been cleared of wrongdoing in making emails between teacher Chuck Coughlin and Principal Stavroula Bouris available following an investigation involving the town manager, town counsel, the police chief and the School Committee attorney.

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Susan Lovelace, chairwoman of the Arlington School Committee, released a report dated Aug. 8 that says the technician was acting within her job responsibilities and that there was no security breach to the system, because the person who gained access to the e-mail system is an authorized system administrator who was performing assigned responsibilities.

"I am writing to inform you that the Superintendent and the School Committee received a report on August 8th concerning the independent investigation on how emails between Principal Bouris and Mr. Coughlin were obtained," Lovelace told YourArlington.

"All five professionals involved in this investigation: the attorney for the school district, the town's attorney, the Chief of Police,the Town Manager and the Superintendent have concurred that the emails were obtained legally.

"As Chair of the School Committee, I trust that our appointed officials and attorneys have thoroughly studied the facts, conducted a professional investigation and concluded that there was 'no security breach to the system and this was an authorized systemadministrator who accessed the school email system, and the subject emails on said system, in the course of performing her assigned responsibilities.'

"I have decided to share the report in a continued effort to put an end to the false accusations that are being spread and doing damageto our district. It is vital that the public know that our computer network is safe and secure."

Report on e-mail access in full

The Aug. 8 report to Superintendent Nate Levenson from School Committee attorney Alan S. Miller, titled "Report Concerning Access of Emails," says, in full:

"On June 10, 2007, you asked me to conduct an investigation concerning potential inappropriate conduct on behalf of Stavroula Bouris and Chuck Coughlin which came to your attention on June 7, 2007 when you received copies of emails exchanged between them.

 

"You also requested that I investigate whether there was inappropriate conduct in the manner in which the emails were accessed. I have completed the report on Mr. Coughlin, and the report with regard to Ms. Bouris will be completed after she returns from Greece on August 9.

"The issue with regard to the access of emails is an extremely important one.I understand the concern among staff, Town officials and the public concerning potential invasion of what, for the most part, were intended to be private communications.

 

"Although the ArlingtonPublic Schools’ Acceptable Use policies state that emails in the Arlington system are public records and that there should be no expectation of privacy, it is my understanding that computer use or emails are not routinely monitored but are accessed when there is reason to believe that there might be misuse. I conclude, based on my investigation, that the access of the emails in question was both legal and appropriate.