The administrative leave given to Lucille Paige, the executive secretary to Region 1 Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain, has been extended to Oct. 1.
A leave until June 30 was granted to Paige in May with full wages and benefits.
The extension of the leave was approved by both parties. Her salary and benefits will continue to be paid in full, he said.
In early May Paige filed a lawsuit against Chamberlain, claiming she was denied her right to free speech, disciplined in retaliation for taking part in an investigation of the school district and its administration and physically assaulted during a confrontation over her private email. Paige, in the lawsuit, claims she has been unfairly treated because she participated in an independent investigation of the school district after Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s top two administrators left just before the start of the 2010 school year. She alleges Chamberlain considered the participation a betrayal and “developed and implemented a systematic course of intimidation and retaliation to punish, discipline, penalize, and otherwise humiliate and bully” her,
alleging she was told to stay out of the high school section of the building. The central office is located in a wing of the building, Page was the only administrative secretary issued such a restriction. She said she was also ordered to cease all communications with school board members. The document also states that in December 2011 Chamberlain ordered Paige to open up her email account, believing she was hiding communications with board members and when the account was opened Chamberlain approached Paige’s chair and physically pushed her out-of-the-way to view the computer screen. Paige, who has held her position in Region One for 20 years, said up to that time two years ago, she’d rarely, if ever, received reprimands or written warnings, but now there are a number of negative evaluations in her file.
Paige, 68, has had some health issues since the controversy arose and in 2011 was on sick leave for two months for hypertension and acute anxiety.
question is anyone being hired to replace her and cost more money to the taxpayers
Lucille can not be replaced at this time. What almost every company does in a situation like this is put BOTH parties on paid leave until the matter is resolved. As of now, no one is guilty of anything. Companies normally put both parties on paid leave so the office can function normally with no pressure from either side until the matter is resolved either thru the courts or negotiation.
Well, just like Hartford and DC, it is time to clean house in Region 1. Until there is a new superintendent and assistant superintendent, I will vote against the budget. Matt & Ian are doing a good job. Sam, despite my initial misgivings back when he was first hired, has proven to be an asset. Pat, Diane, draft your letters of resignation.
Bullying and intimidation seem to be the norm for the region 1 top officials. In the process of investigating my dismissal from substitute teaching and the subsequent lies I was told by the asst. supt., I have finally gotten a few teachers to talk to me. I am not alone in my assessment that people are cowed by the arrogance and officiousness of the office. People are simply afraid to stand up to it. I’m not intimidated and I have nothing to lose at this point, and will continue asking questions of people involved and collecting information.
Harassment and intimidation reportedly impacted the day to day routines of several of those teachers whose positions were cut from the high school.
Seeing this, frustrates me so, when just yesterday we were told there was nothing new to report on this case. Thank you, Marshall & Ruth, along with our other local reporters, for helping keep me informed. Marilyn Yerks
you only post if it goes with your opinion
No George, I allow other opinions on here…just not ones that have plenty of other places where they can be posted. This site is for ALTERNATE opinions on Region One, not “brown-nose” ones
“Matt & Ian are doing a good job.”
And on what, exactly, do you base this claim? The principal developed a staffing plan that was, at its best, irresponsible. He has provided misinformation to the public regarding section enrollment, an early retirement incentive, and teacher readiness for the iPod initiative.
The assistant principal is indeed doing fine work. Unfortunately, it is not the work of an assistant principal. Instead, he’s picking up someone else’s slack.
It was the principal who could have stood up and stopped the bullying, but instead, he has become a bully himself. Rumor has it staff members fear him as much as the superintendent and assistant superintendent. He may have started supporting them to keep his job, but it appears he enjoys the power as much as they do.
Please tell me how Matt’s staffing plan is irresponsible? I am the father of 6 HVRHS students, dating back to 1994. My youngest will graduate next year. Please, support your claims with information.