Stavroula Bouris was dismissed Aug. 22 as principal of the Ottoson Middle School following an investigation that says she forged e-mails under the superintendent’s name, gave preferential treatment to a teacher at the expense of other teachers and had an inappropriate relationship with that teacher.

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Earlier stories (Aug. 12): Teacher fired | Technician cleared

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In announcing the conclusion of a two-month independent investigation, Superintendent Nate Levenson said acting principal of Ottoson will be Judy Malone Neville, who has been a principal of the Charles Brown Middle School in Newton for 16 years.

A memo dated Aug. 22 and addressed to all staff, parents and community members from Levenson was issued to YourArlington after the Web site requested it. The same statement was presumably issued to other media.

 

Titled "Leadership at the Ottoson Middle School," the memo says, in full:

 

After a 2-month investigation, much thought, and consultation, I have decided to issue a notice of intent to dismiss Stavroula Bouris as Principal of the Ottoson Middle School.  This was a very difficult decision, but the facts of the situation leave me with no alternative.

The independent investigation concluded that Principal Bouris forged emails under the Superintendent’s name, gave preferential treatment to Mr. Coughlin at the expense of other teachers, and had an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Coughlin which harmed the morale of other staff members. These actions are not consistent with the expectations and requirements of a leader in the Arlington Public Schools.

I informed Principal Bouris today of my intent to dismiss her. By state law, a final opportunity for Ms. Bouris to explain mitigating circumstance must be provided, and this will be scheduled no later than the week of September 4th. Ms. Bouris is on paid administrative leave, effective immediately.

To ensure a smooth transition, a successful start to the new school year, and a great year for all students, I have asked Judy Malone Neville to be Acting Principal of the Ottoson Middle School until a final decision is made after the statutory meeting. Judy brings a wealth of middle school experience to Arlington, including 16 years as Principal of the Charles Brown Middle School in Newton.

She was also Assistant Superintendent in Newton for four years before retiring.  Most importantly, Judy is a warm, kind person who can help facilitate a healing process while ensuring a caring, supportive school environment.

I know that this decision will be difficult for some staff and parents who have strong, positive feelings for Principal Bouris. She is a good person who has done much for the children of Arlington.

I am committed to working closely with the middle school staff to help them through this emotion-filled period.  I have asked Rob Evans, a nationally known authority on helping schools through difficult times, to provide his support to the district and staff.

During the week of September 10th, I will host a series of meetings for small groups of middle school parents to discuss any concerns and our plans for a productive school year.

In June, a school employee brought me copies of over 50 emails between Ms. Bouris and a teacher at the middle school, Mr. Coughlin. At no time did I solicit or encourage the collection of these emails. The district does not view emails on the school network unless a specific need exists. The correspondence suggested an inappropriate relationship between Principal Bouris and Mr. Coughlin.

An independent investigation concluded that neither I nor any other administrator played any role in obtaining the emails. In fact, upon reading the emails, my first question to the district’s legal counsel was “Can I ignore these emails and just throw them away?”

I was put on notice by the school district’s legal counsel, Attorney [Alan S.] Miller, that it would be gross negligence on my part if I did not investigate the situation since the emails potentially suggested sexual harassment or an inappropriate relationship as well as other possible violations.  He cautioned me that I could be fired if I did not fully investigate the matter. 

I sought a second legal opinion from Attorney Mike Long, who is affiliated with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. He also stated that an investigation was absolutely required, and he too stressed exposure for me personally and for the district to charges of negligence if I failed to investigate.

Because of contentious events this spring surrounding the decision not to renew the middle school principal’s contract, I immediately recused myself from the investigation and hired the school district’s legal counsel, Stoneman, Chandler and Miller, to conduct a thorough, independent investigation.

Their investigation took 8 weeks and included reviewing emails from the school back-up system, the hard drives of school computers, and interviews with middle school teachers, administrators, and Principal Bouris.

My decision is based on the finding of this impartial investigation. Prior to making my decision, I set out to independently gauge the seriousness of these actions while respecting the privacy of the individuals and recognizing that the final decision, by law, is mine.  I contacted three people who have much experience and expertise in these matters:

-    Tom Scott, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School
Superintendents.  Tom served 11 years as a superintendent and also as the Director of the EDCO Collaborative.  An important role for the Executive Director is to provide advice to superintendents statewide.

-    Mike Long, General Counsel and Advisor for the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.  As part of our membership dues, superintendents gain access to Attorney Long for advice and counsel.  Attorney Long has advised superintendents across the state on personnel matters for many years.

-     Irwin Blumer, Chair, Educational Administration and Higher Education at Boston
College Lynch School of Education.  In this role, he trains future superintendents.  He was also a Superintendent for over 15 years and played a role in helping me shape the compromised 2-year contract extension for Principal Bouris this spring.

The two former superintendents stated unequivocally that if a similar situation occurred when they were superintendents, they would terminate the principal.  All three indicated that they believed most superintendents statewide would terminate a principal, given the facts as we know them.

I take full responsibility for the decision, but I take comfort in knowing that this decision is proportionate and reasonable in the eyes of three very experienced, impartial education professionals.

This is an unpleasant and unfortunate situation. As a staff and as a community, we have a choice to make. We can again become polarized and debate the decision, or we can redirect our energy back to teaching and learning.

I am asking everyone to put the children of Arlington first. We should model for the students the behavior we expect of them, and we should trust that we are all people of good intention as we work through this transition together.

 

{mosimage}This story was published on YourArlington on Aug. 21, 2007.