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louie
Senior Member
188 Posts |
 Posted - 01/07/2006 : 09:06:13 AM
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Alleged school scammer still on the job
By Kevin Rothstein
Saturday, January 7, 2006
The Everett school maintenance manager who was a key figure in the school corruption scandal there is apparently still employed even though she admitted her role in the procurement fraud scheme three weeks ago.
Attorney General Tom Reilly’s office called Lona DeFeo, 72, “an integral part” of schemes that allegedly led to at least 63 contracts worth $552,000 handed out by way of bid rigging, bid splitting and kickbacks.
But Everett Alderman Stephen “Stat” Smith wants to know what DeFeo’s work status is since she is apparently still working.
“I’d just like to know if she’s still on the payroll. The School Committee has had a couple of meetings since she’s pled guilty, and from what I hear they haven’t taken action against her,” he said.
Smith has asked the city solicitor to explain DeFeo’s job status at a meeting on Monday.
Everett’s new mayor, John Hanlon, who handed out pink slips to scores of administrators when he took over earlier this week, didn’t return several telephone calls.
Neither did School Superintendent Frederick Foresteire, who was indicted with DeFeo on charges he had two school-bought air conditioners installed in his home.
He is still awaiting trial in Middlesex Superior Court.
Also mum was School Committee Chairman David Ela, whose board has allowed Foresteire and DeFeo to continue working despite their March 2004 indictments.
But when a reporter called Everett’s maintenance department on Thursday and asked to speak with DeFeo, a woman who answered said she couldn’t come to the phone because she was in a meeting.
Former Mayor David Ragucci, in an earlier interview shortly before his term expired, said he was outraged that DeFeo was still employed.
Robert Shaw, director of Everett’s retirement system, said he believed DeFeo was still employed but was waiting for official court documentation before deciding whether she could keep her pension. That scenario appears unlikely, though, because state law bars public employees from collecting pensions if convicted of crimes related to their jobs.
So I guess all you people sent emails to the boston newspapers.
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 10:17:44 AM
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Louie - you say it like it's a bad thing. We did. And it's not going to stop. Aren't you embarrassed by this?
We now have a convicted felon, whose crimes occurred in the course of her employment, still in her job. How screwy is that? No more "innocent until proven guilty" - she's guilty. And what does this say about Fred? It means that he was either AWOL in his own capacity as superintendent or something else....What does it say about the school committee? Talk about negligence of duty? So...let's hope that Joe Guliano kicks off his term on the school committee by demanding answers. Stat Smith already has a piece on the calendar for Monday night.
Pop the popcorn, kids. |
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lisa
Senior Member
143 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 10:32:11 AM
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| when someone pleads guilty to charges they can keep their job up to a certain point, WHEN such documents come from the court the school dept. will have to decided what to do with Ms. Defeo I understand she pled guilty BUT certify documents have to be sent from the court to the school department THEN and only then action is taken |
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lizbeth
Senior Member
184 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 11:04:45 AM
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Lisa, please . . . talk about spinning a point. It's been reported that this woman has plead guilty . . . do you think the School Committee hasn't received some form of notification? How about this . .. how about they put her on administrative leave until the technicality of court documents has been resolved? It is ABSOLUTE INSANITY that this woman continues to be employed after pleading guilty to engaging in criminal activity in the course of performing her job. Are ya kidding me?
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lisa
Senior Member
143 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 11:13:01 AM
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| and I agree with you liz but you have to remember this is everett that takes baby steps I meant to put at the bottom of my post I was just giving a scenario that will never happen in this city. |
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 12:00:10 PM
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| It looks like we now have the playbook for the school committee's next meeting. No action until they see the "papers." Unbelievable. Lisa, this isn't baby steps....this is a snail pace. These clowns are going to insist on paperwork before they do the right thing...funny, the school committee didn't need any paperwork on the uncertified teachers, the misspent grant money or Tobin's law files. |
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H1ghCh4r1ty
Advanced Member
967 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 08:27:35 AM
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The Pup found a nice story in today's Herald, (Saturday March 4, 2006, page 4).
I wish they had said more, but it's a great, great start.
Emile Schoeffhausen |
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Boston Herald
