׉?4ׁB!בCטUUru׉׉ 7cassandra://64ig7SeMlbIp_Zp6wEIReNCU35aTnljcsALuNRxoNjEv`'p׉ 7cassandra://QUS4ynMsxmUHgiVmzeVmcr99n9PzSvUdoRmg8hnM1PA͹3`׉ 7cassandra://SnCVNHhCmfwOrYycXXnspV3B8vowv7fdzuTo2Z0TDCM:p`gbq5{(Ցנgbq5{(؁19ׁHhttp://www.advocatenews.netׁ ׁ Ј׈Egbp5{(׉E SAUGUS Vol. 27, No.8 Your Local News & Sports Online! Scan & Subscribe Here! C TE D O AT CAT -FREE- www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday 781-233-4446 Friday, February 21, 2025 EAGLE EYES AT STOCKER PLAYGROUND A Wrongful Firing An arbitrator rules Saugus School Committee fi red Ex-Supt. McMahon without proper cause; awards her substantial lost wages and benefi ts to make her whole By Mark E. Vogler E x-Saugus School Superintendent Erin McMahon only got about halfway through the second year of an unprecedented fi ve-year, million-dollar contract before going on paid administrative leave in early January of 2023 as she was being investigated for alleged misconduct, which led to her fi ring 10 months later. But McMahon, who maintained from the outset that the School Committee violated her contract and later fi red her unfairly based on a fl awed report, has convinced an arbitrator that the committee failed to justify her termination. “On the merits, the School How will this bald eagle – perched on a branch overlooking the basketball court at Stocker Playground earlier this month – and other wildlife be aff ected by a proposed dog park? Please see inside for more photos, a story about the Conservation Commission review of the project and letters to the editor. (Courtesy photo of Shannon Monks) Committee did not establish that there was good cause for the termination,” arbitrator Sherrie Rose Talmadge wrote in a recent 30-page report that awarded McMahon “all lost wages and benefi ts” from the date of her Nov. 2, 2023, termination to the end of her employment agreement, which would have expired on June 30, 2026. Megan C. Deluhery, of the Boston law fi rm of Todd & Weld LLP, welcomed the American Arbitration Association Labor Arbitration Decision And Award as a vindication of her client, who was the fi rst woman school superintendent hired by the Town of Saugus. “Dr. McMahon is gratifi ed by the outcome which confi rms there was insuffi cient evidence to support termination of her employment for the reasons set out in the investigation report,” Deluhery told The Saugus Advocate. “The parties have yet to confer on the calculation of the award, but with 2.5 years remaining in her contract which requires payment of her annual salary of just under $200,000 plus benefi ts less post-termination earnings, we anticipate the dollar value will be substantial,” she said. No comment from Saugus School Committee Saugus School Committee Chair Vincent Serino issued a comment on behalf of the entire School Committee that essentially declined to rebut the FIRING | SEE PAGE 2 MARCHETTI CORP. 46 Years of Excellence!! 1978-2024 Regular Unleaded $2.839 MidUnleaded $3.379 Super $3.479 Diesel Fuel $3.539 Kerosene Available! HEATING O L IL ULS $4.759 $3.39 9 DEF Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! 24-Hour Burner Service Open an account and order online at: Hours: Monday thru Friday 6 AM to 7 PM / Saturdays 7 AM to 5 PM / Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM FLEET Prices subject to change ׉ 7cassandra://SnCVNHhCmfwOrYycXXnspV3B8vowv7fdzuTo2Z0TDCM:p`gbp5{(gbp5{( rבCטUru׉׉ 7cassandra://f5cFy3QiaV3SMrQN_K4O0EssTQwvJy6koZVqTq-QR1Y`'p׉ 7cassandra://flr5mofYKX-HMlFm4XyGdQJQHJmTQUYuGqG_kZ1lk9wͱ`׉ 7cassandra://rCWqU4VIRJUkmLLBz2X0Xdf_gLtghRMQJnoidvCD2s06/`gbr5{(טUUru׉׉ 7cassandra://9xac-AjjS-2323K9cKvKRtMndDo03wyOX_EfkroHhUA:`'p׉ 7cassandra://s5VKvd4Rt41VfQk_yPOpHmuUGVhv5CPVuzD3jM5l1gY͹^`׉ 7cassandra://XNfsVSLkGxy8xoVqy3sDf_aorpIfyn-nl9hQ-ifJqCM2`gbr5{(ڑנgbr5{(݁(9ׁHhttp://www.roller-world.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 21, 2025 FIRING | FROM PAGE 1 decision. “You and your readers will note that the Saugus School Committee has refrained from making any public comment concerning the former superintendent since she placed herself on administrative leave in January of 2023,” the statement began. “Since that time, the investigative report, the former superintendent’s response and the entirety of the disciplinary hearing have been publicly released. Our main focus has been and will continue to be the district and Lawn and Yard Care SNOW PLOWING *REASONABLE RATES * PROMPT SERVICE * PARKING LOTS USA 781-521-9927 Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net the students, teachers and support staff . We will continue to refrain from making any public statements.” Serino declined to provide a copy of the arbitration report to The Saugus Advocate, citing the advice of the committee’s attorney. “It’s not public,” he said in an email to the newspaper. However, The Saugus Advocate was able to obtain the report from two sources. Several state websites post arbitration decisions periodically. The decisions are fi led and are the basis for fi nancial settlements. No attorney fees are warranted pursuant to the terms of Section 12.1, which provides “The parties…shall be responsible for their own legal fees.” The arbitrator will retain jurisdiction for 60 days from receipt of the award to assist with issues implementing the remedial order, if requested. She came to Saugus with high expectations McMahon was hired by the School Committee to turn around the Saugus Public Schools (District), which, according to the 2019 state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education report, was on a state watch list. The hiring marked the fi rst time in recent memory that the School Committee approved a fiveyear contract for an incoming superintendent to lead the town’s public education system. Ex-Saugus School Superintendent Erin McMahon addressed the School Committee on the day of her fi ring before the committee voted unanimously to fi re her. (Courtesy photo of Saugus TV to The Saugus Advocate) And no Saugus School Committee has ever invested so much money – close to a million dollars over the life of the contract – for a school administrator. But School Committee members were unanimous in their belief that it was worth every penny that they approved to bring in Erin McMahon with the great expectation that she would drastically improve the town’s school system. The committee members were so impressed with her credentials and her interview that they entered into an Employment Agreement with her for a fi ve year term: July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026. At the time of her hiring, McMahon was the senior advisor to then-state Education Commissioner Jeff rey C. Riley. She was the committee’s 4-0 unanimous choice to replace retiring School Superintendent David DeRuosi, Jr. Then School Committee Chair Thomas Whittredge abstained from the vote because of a potential conflict of interest, as his sister, Dawn Trainor, is the executive director of Pupil Personnel Services & Special Education – a high administrative position that reports directly to the superintendent. Lack of “good cause” “The School Committee did not meet its burden of establishing good cause for the termination of Dr. McMahon as required by Section 12.1 of the FIRING | SEE PAGE 3 Call Driveways from $35 ׉ 7cassandra://rCWqU4VIRJUkmLLBz2X0Xdf_gLtghRMQJnoidvCD2s06/`gbp5{(׉ExTHE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 21, 2025 Page 3 FIRING | FROM PAGE 2 Employment Agreement,” Arbitrator Talmadge concluded. “Section 12.1 states, ‘good cause’ herein shall be defined as any ground put forth by the Committee in good faith that is not arbitrary, irrational, unreasonable or irrelevant to the task of building and maintaining an efficient school system,” it continued. “The School Committee relied on the findings of the independent law firm, Arrowood, to terminate the Superintendent. Those findings included that the Superintendent: 1) accepted payments from consultants without proper disclosure or notice, 2) approved invoices from a vendor that included inflated hours, unapproved hours, and alcohol, and 3) spent excessive time out of the district. The Arrowood report These are highlights from the report that were the basis for the School Committee voting to fire McMahon: • The superintendent had a longstanding relationship with Relay, performed paid consulting services for Relay, which she did not disclose to the School Committee nor did she submit any conflict-of-interest disclosure about said consulting until April 6, about 15 minutes before she was scheduled to be interviewed in connection with this investigation and more than a year after her initial consulting services were provided to Relay. • McMahon also received gratis professional development training from Relay, which she did not disclose to the School Committee nor reference in her conflict-of-interest disclosure. Superintendent McMahon retained Relay to provide professional development services for the District at a cost of $84,000, of which $56,000 was contracted for and paid out after she performed her initial consulting services for Relay, representing tuition costs for four individuals to attend professional development training in New York City and Denver, Colorado, and does not include any expenses paid directly to those individuals in connection with their attendance at that program. • The superintendent either intentionally or negligently permitted a professional development provider (Excellence Reflex Consulting LLC) to charge the District in excess of amounts actually earned for the services provided to the District. • Superintendent McMahon either intentionally or negligently permitted a professional development provider (Excellence Reflex Consulting LLC) to charge the District for the purchase of alcohol on one occasion from Title I grant funds, and did so in spite of her receipt of an admonition from at least one member of the District’s leadership team that such charges could not be made to the District, through permitting the use of multiple revised invoices from said professional development provider. • Between July 1, 2022, and January 19, 2023 (the date on which she began administrative leave), Superintendent McMahon was out of district 40.5 days, nearly double the amount of time the previous superintendent spent out of district. But in each instance, the arbitrator’s report concluded there was no basis to substantiate the allegations. On November 2, 2023, the Committee conducted the hearing in an open public session at Dr. McMahon’s request. At the November 2 termination hearing, Dr. McMahon only knew the information provided in the redacted Executive Summary given to her. Right before the public session started, Dr. McMahon provided the School Committee with a large number of documents in a rebuttal statement to respond to the information disclosed in the redacted Executive Summary. Chair Serino summarized the four matters from the August 30 letter at the outset of the hearing. While certain Committee members testified that they had an issue with McMahon providing this information at the hearing, she was unable to provide the information beforehand because the parties had reached a settlement in principle, and she understood that the Rebuttal would not be necessary. However, the settlement fell through 48 hours prior to the hearing. McMahon received notice of the November 2 termination hearing on October 31, two days prior to the termination hearing. Dr. McMahon’s counsel made a request for the full report on the record, and Chair Serino replied by implying the Committee had not seen the full report, although this was not the case. After Dr. McMahon was given an opportunity to orally address the School Committee, she asked the Committee to review and consider her Rebuttal, and invited the Committee to ask any questions. The hearing lasted 25 minutes. The Rebuttal consisted of a nine-page written statement by Dr. McMahon with 18 exhibits, including an affidavit of Chi FIRING | SEE PAGE 4 RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM Great Classified Ad Rates! 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PUBLIC SKATING SCHEDULE 12-7 p.m. Sunday Monday Tuesday $10.00 Price includes Roller Skates Rollerblades/inline skates $3.00 additional cost Private Parties 7:30-11 p.m. Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday $11.00 Price includes Roller Skates 18+ Adults Only After 7 PM - ID Required Private Parties Private Parties 4-8 p.m. $10.00 8:30-11 p.m. $11. 18+ Adults Only After 7 PM - ID Required 12-9 p.m. $10.00 Everyone must pay admission after 6 p.m. Sorry No Checks - ATM on site Roller skate rentals included in all prices Inline Skate Rentals $3.00 additional A CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Ex-School Superintendent Erin McMahon walked the table where the School Committee sat as she tried to make her case as to why she should not be fired. (Courtesy photo of Saugus TV to The Saugus Advocate) BIRTHDAY & PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE www.roller-world.com ׉ 7cassandra://XNfsVSLkGxy8xoVqy3sDf_aorpIfyn-nl9hQ-ifJqCM2`gbp5{(gbp5{( rבCטUru׉׉ 7cassandra://5E4OQqgTO4qOdlXbchq5agTTYALKxpABNfrw_jenfCk`'p׉ 7cassandra://S4ugOcaNw8WnES9tWoHEl78r__kHv4Y6JmsKYXmQeC0`׉ 7cassandra://SOw7NIFzKjxzBNesveRWZpfAfBJKKAJc6WXLJ1nGPfU9`gbr5{(טUUru׉׉ 7cassandra://L3WSBH48EZXaUiyqxJfckg4JsHfN7AHXNh552YWGTkAk`'p׉ 7cassandra://H4-DJpto6INyxVNah-CrxO22jG2rgb-ZsV-oFYlwPN0ͮ`׉ 7cassandra://Xdbx7MNK9EcNjIw-2ypaYGvAa6MJEIquRxx8CZdsoRg6T`gbr5{(ߒנgbs5{(Y9ׁHhttp://WWW.SABATINO-INS.COMׁ ׁ Јנgbs5{(Ṷ9ׁHmailto:Don02152@gmail.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EPage 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 21, 2025 ~ The Old Sachem ~ The Sinking of the USS Maine T By Bill Stewart he USS Maine was a second-class battleship that started being built in 1888 and was completed in 1895. It was one of the fi rst American battleships and weighed more than 6,000 pounds and cost more than two million dollars to build. The ship was the fi rst named for the State of Maine and was followed by the USS Texas. The Maine was described as an armored cruiser or second-class battleship. The two were built as an advance on warship design, which followed the latest design of European naval 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 Open Tues. - Sat. at 4:00 PM Closed Sun. & Mon. Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Tuesdays & Wednesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s Scan & Follow Us on Facebook! development. Both ships had two-gun turrets, and full sailing masts were omitted, as steam engines replaced sail. Due to the fact that both ships required nine years to build, both were somewhat obsolete by the time of completion. The Maine made a friendly visit to Cuba and reached the harbor on February 15th, 1898, to protect the interests of Americans in Cuba, after a rebellion against Spain broke out in Havana in January. It is known as the Cuban War of Independence. The American government wanted to protect the Americans who lived in Cuba during the fi ghting. The Cubans fought from 1895 to 1898 against Spain in the new world. The Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. American newspapers, which wanted to boost circulation, used yellow journalism to provoke the public to believe that the Spanish were the ones to blow up the ship. They created the phrase “Remember the Maine! To hell FIRING | FROM PAGE 3 www.810bargrille.com Tschang, who was referenced in the Arrowood report although he had not been interviewed. Some of the Committee members briefl y reviewed the materials, although none requested a brief recess so they could do so. No one asked Dr. McMahon with Spain!” which became a cry for action. The U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry ruled in March that the ship was blown up in the harbor by an external explosion from a mine. The explosion sank the ship and 286 sailors were killed, which was three-quarters of the crew. The United States then deployed forces in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippine Islands to fi ght Spain. Some U.S. Naval offi cers disagreed with the verdict and suggested that the ship’s magazines had been ignited by a spontaneous fi re in a coal bunker. The coal used in the Maine was bituminous, which was known for releasing gasses composed primarily of fl ammable methane that often exploded. An investigation by Admiral Hyman Rickover in 1974 agreed with the coal fi re idea, but the sinking remains a subject of a military situation. The ship remained in the harbor bottom until 1911. Then a cofferdam was built around the ship. They patched the ship and were able to fl oat the remains, then the Maine was towed out to sea and sunk again. It lies on the seaany questions. Shortly following the Superintendent’s presentation, the Committee unanimously voted to terminate Dr. McMahon’s contract. Chair Serino stated that the Committee’s vote was based on the fi ndings and potential violations of law suggested by Arrowood in the “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) bed 3,600 feet below the surface. The main mast is now a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. We will never know for sure what caused the explosion, but we will honor the men who died in Havana Harbor. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.) Executive Summary. After the termination on November 7, 2023, the School Committee provided the full unredacted Arrowood report to Dr. McMahon, which included t he name of the whistleblower, Dr. Ferrick. The Arrowood report was also leaked to the media. — Vinyl Siding — Carpentry Work — Decks — Roofing — Free Estimates — Replacement Windows — Fully Licensed — Fully Insured ׉ 7cassandra://SOw7NIFzKjxzBNesveRWZpfAfBJKKAJc6WXLJ1nGPfU9`gbp5{(׉E 3THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 21, 2025 Page 5 Former Saugus High School football coach walks his last postal route in Winthrop Special to Th e Saugus Advocate D onny Trainor always felt a personal connection to Winthrop, even as he settled, raised a family and coached high school football in Saugus. Winthrop is where both his parents were raised. So, when he took over a postal route there 39 years ago, it was sort of a homecoming. A fixture on his route, “Donny the Mailman” walked the route for the last time at the end of January – retiring from the job that was always more than “a job” to him. Neighbors greeted him with good luck signs and balloons to celebrate his service and commitment. Donny contributed in many ways to the community, helping to run the annual Winthrop Food Drive and organizing friends and family to pitch in. He developed a kinship with the people on his route – lending a hand to help carry in groceries, shovel out walkways or take part in snowball fi ghts with the kids. And every year he would help Santa’s elves during the holiday season by delivering the letters from the North Pole, making sure the kids who left letters for him to deliver to Santa got a handwritten, personal reply from the man himself. The people on his route, his friends and family in town are the reason he loved his job. He would walk roughly 30,000 steps a day by the time he finished making all his stops and chatting with friendly faces along the way. Donny has always had a positive impact on any community he has been a part of. In his hometown of Saugus, he coached the high school football team for more than 30 years and took part in many community events and activities. An interesting day on his route would be the day after a Saugus-Winthrop football game. There was extra incentive for Saugus to win, so he wouldn’t get heckled on his route. In retirement, he is looking forward to spending time with his wife, children and granddaughter. He plans on doing a lot of traveling and golfi ng with his newly found free time. (And he’ll probably walk the course.) If you have any nice stories about mailman Donny, we would love to hear them! Please email us at MailmanDon02152@gmail.com “DONNY THE MAILMAN:” Former Saugus High School Football Coach Donny Trainor on his postal route in Winthrop. He recently retired after four decades of working for the U.S. Postal Service. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) TAKING A BREAK: Donny Trainor in his mail truck. 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