Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/13/2022
CHICOPEE – Superintendent of Schools Lynn Clark was arrested on April 6 for making false statements in connection with a federal investigation regarding Chicopee’s halted search for their Chief of Police position. The arrest comes after a review process from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Background
Clark, who served as the city’s superintendent since 2019, will appear in federal court after being arrested at her Belchertown residence. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Office Joseph R. Bonavolonta made the official announcement on behalf of the United States Department of Justice.
According to the Department of Justice’s findings, law enforcement received a report on Dec. 3, 2021 detailing the situation. In the report, a candidate from the city’s Chief of Police application process said he/she received threats throughout November intending for the candidate to withdraw from the position. The candidate ultimately decided to withdraw his application, which further delayed Chicopee’s Chief of Police selection process.
The candidate, the candidate’s spouse and Clark herself allegedly received approximately 99 threatening messages sent from inauthentic phone numbers purchased through a mobile app. The Department of Justice concluded through phone and internet records that Clark purchased the phone numbers in question.
When questioned, Clark allegedly denied sending the messages on multiple occasions. Clark initially suggested that the messages could have been sent by other city employees, the candidate’s colleagues or a member of Clark’s own family before admitting she sent the messages.
A charge for false statements can lead to a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
FBI Affidavit
According to the affidavit, the FBI began interviewing the police chief candidate in question toward the beginning of December 2021. The candidate shared that the anonymous phone numbers shared private information that only Clark would have access to from their past conversations together. They also said Clark informed them about obtaining similar threatening texts calling for his/her withdrawal.
Clark also received a text message of the candidate and their spouse’s wedding picture, an image that the candidate believed did not exist in digital form. Clark would later suggest in an interview that the wedding photo could have been stolen from the candidate’s office. During a February FBI interview, the candidate admitted their belief that the texts were sent with the intention of getting them to resign from the search, according to the affidavit.
Clark spoke to the FBI on Dec. 11, 2021 and Jan. 11. In her first meeting, Clark shared that she received threatening messages regarding the candidate on Nov. 6. Among the six texts she received, one depicted the candidate driving a vehicle owned by Clark. The superintendent also claimed she did not know who sent the text messages, but expressed fear that public discourse surrounding the matter would tarnish her reputation. She said she believed the investigation was “tearing the city apart.”
After the Jan. 11 interview, the FBI investigated the matter and concluded that Clark was behind the creation of the inauthentic numbers on the burner phone app. The organization successfully tracked the phone number purchases to a device from Clark’s home IP address. They also discovered that texts were sent to a fourth phone number, which was concluded to be Clark’s work cell phone.
Clark reached out to the FBI via email on Jan. 17, Jan. 23, Jan. 26 and Jan. 27. The superintendent shared that she changed her phone number while also expressing concerns about the ongoing case.
“No matter which person, group of people or individual this [investigation] points to – it was not reported by us and a piece of this was probably self-serving .... I just feel that nothing and I repeat, nothing - will help me personally. How is this helping the City,” questioned Clark in one of her email replies.
The two sides met again on Feb. 7. According to the affidavit, Clark tried to dissuade the investigators from further pursuing the case, stating that it would be in everyone’s best interest if the case resulted in “no findings.”
Clark also provided several false statements, including not knowing who sent the text, not recognizing the candidate’s wedding photo and not downloading the burner app. The superintendent also called out a city employee and a family member who she claimed could be potential perpetrators of the incident.
Once presented with the FBI findings, Clark admitted she downloaded the burner app and sent the threatening text messages. The superintendent believed that the candidate’s pursuit of the police chief role would damage her position as superintendent of schools, claiming that the candidate accomplished most of their progress in the department due to her work.
Clark also expressed her desire to see the candidate get “knocked down a peg,” according to the affidavit.
The superintendent admitted to hiding the burner app by deleting and redownloading the app several times, the affidavit said. She also discovered the candidate’s wedding photo on the internet, sending the photo to herself via the burner app before showing the text to the candidate. Clark operated similarly with the toll plaza picture taken of the candidate driving her car.
Clark ultimately admitted to utilizing similar burner applications in her role as superintendent, according to the affidavit. She would use the application to contact parents and students who were unresponsive from calls made from Chicopee Public Schools behalf, according to the affidavit.
After an initial hearing on April 6, Clark will have her next hearing in federal court on April 27.
Mayor’s Response
In response to the news, Mayor John Vieau issued an official statement.
“This morning, Superintendent of Schools, Lynn Clark was charged and for making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Mayor’s Office is aware of the situation, and we are working to ensure that School Department operations continue smoothly through this transition as the education of children remains paramount.”
Vieau continued, “Today’s arrest is disheartening for the city of Chicopee.”
School Committee Decision
In a meeting shrouded by the news of Superintendent Lynn Clark’s arrest, the School Committee voted to place the superintendent on paid administrative leave and request for her resignation during their April 6 meeting.
Discussion surrounding the controversial topic was initially intended for executive session, but the committee could not call for a private conversation due to the decision not taking place 48 hours before the meeting. Vieau, who also chairs the School Committee, opened the conversation with his reflections on the news.
“We found out this morning and we are shocked that our superintendent of schools has been arrested…this is disappointing and disheartening for our schools, our district and the City of Chicopee,” said Vieau.
Based on the available information, Vieau explained that there is no known connection between Clark’s allegations and the operation of the school department. The mayor also shared that Assistant Superintendent of Student Supportive Services Alvin Morton will guide Chicopee as the district’s highest-ranking staff member.
“We have a School Committee policy that provides the most senior assistant superintendent to take over in the absence of the superintendent, so we are prepared for a continuation of leadership as necessary under the guidance of our Assistant Superintendent, Alvin Morton,” said Vieau.
Morton shared his mission as the district’s new leader. “In light of the circumstances today, it is disturbing. As devastating as they are, I just want to reassure families that our priority continues to be providing a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning to continue in our schools,” said Morton.
Ward 2 School Committee member David Barsalou described the day as “tough, difficult and challenging.” The committee member reflected on the past arrests of city councilors and former Mayor Richard Goyette as similar difficult incidents that occurred in the city’s history.
“This arrest this morning with our superintendent is right up there [with those prior arrests]. It’s placed a huge dark cloud over the city. I just hope tonight we can start the healing process so we can move on,” said Barsalou.
The School Committee endured a lengthy discussion regarding Clark’s arrest and the future of the school department. With the initial amendment focused on placing Clark on administrative leave, Ward 4 School Committee member Sandra Peret proposed that the committee also request Clark’s resignation.
“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and there is a due process, but in light of the fact that someone is leading our district and is an example for our students and each one of us as well, it seems we should ask for a resignation,” said Peret.
While the committee agreed on both actions, members debated on whether to place Clark on paid or unpaid leave. Barsalou shared that he would be “uncomfortable” with paid leave. “I would prefer unpaid leave…The Department of Justice and the FBI rarely, if ever, arrest someone unless they have overwhelming evidence for a conviction,” said Barsalou.
Legal Compliance Officer of Chicopee Public Schools Rebecca Bouchard explained that the committee should opt for paid administrative leave due to Clark not being indicted on her charges yet. The compliance officer also shared that the committee’s decision is a preliminary one, with the School Committee allowed to revise and update their course of action in future meetings.
“Our typical course of action is to put an employee on paid administrative leave pending further information and an investigation. There is a statue that would allow us to put an employee on an unpaid leave, but that statue talks about someone being under indictment. There is no one under indictment at this moment,” said Bouchard.
Ward 7 School Committee member Donald Lamothe stressed that the committee should not rush placing Clark in unpaid administrative leave. “I don’t think waiting till the next meeting is going to hurt us here…this lady is having a bad day, we don’t need to put gas on the fire here,” said Lamothe.
Ward 1 School Committee member Timothy Wagner expressed that Clark “made a disgrace of this school district,” but felt the committee should listen to Bouchard’s advice. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality, and we could be sued if we put her on unpaid leave,” said Wagner.
Ward 8 School Committee member Doug Girouard agreed with the unpaid leave decision and said it’s too soon to request for Clark’s resignation. “Me personally, I think it’s too soon to ask for a resignation because she is innocent until proven guilty,” said Girouard.
Ward 5 School Committee member Grace Schofield explained that regardless of the indictment decision, the committee should ask for Clark’s resignation due to her already admitting to lying to the FBI.
“I feel asking for her resignation is warranted because she admitted to lying. As a role model for our schools, as an adult, I have a real hard problem with someone leading our school district who is lying,” said Schofield.
Ward 3 School Committee member Saulo DePaula expressed that it’s a “very conflicting moment,” citing Clark’s salary as the city’s highest paid official. “She’s not due back in court until April 27. That’s 20 days from now, that’s 20 days of additional pay…Last year she was paid $174,800. That’s a lot of money,” said DePaula.
Ultimately, the School Committee voted 8-3 to place Clark under paid administrative and ask for her immediate resignation.
Clark Press Conference
Clark stood beside her lawyer Jared Olanoff during an April 8 press conference at the United States Federal Court House. Speaking on behalf of Clark, Olanoff expressed his disappointment that Clark was arrested on April 6.
“That did not have to happen, especially because we had an understanding with the government that we would be notified that there’s a time to come to court…there was no purpose in doing that other than to humiliate her, to cause the greatest amount of disturbance in her life and make a public spectacle of it,” said Olanoff.
Clark’s legal representation also shared that Clark denies the allegations. “She denies the allegations. At this point, that’s all they are, they’re merely allegations. Absolutely nothing has been proven whatsoever. We haven’t seen any evidence of any kind of wrongdoing,” said Olanoff.
While pre-trial press conferences are infrequent, Olanoff said Clark’s side is speaking out due to the “overwhelming” pre-trial publicity, stating that the conversation could cause an “enormous damage” to Clark’s representation.
In regard to the FBI affidavit, Olanoff explained that there are “some inaccuracies” with the report, including an allegation that Clark claimed her son sent the text messages. Olanoff criticized the federal court process for not recording Clark’s meetings with the FBI while also sharing that Clark did not have legal representation during her meetings.
“To say that she has been treated fairly in the public realm, that has not been in the case. I would specifically reference a lot of the comments of the Chicopee School Committee and those members as to commenting on the alleged conduct at this point…We take real issue with that, it’s inappropriate. At this point, we’re asking people to have an open mind,” said Olanoff.
Olanoff also stressed Clark’s resume as a 29-year employee within the city of Chicopee, listing her experiences as a teacher and principal before becoming superintendent in 2019. “During that entire time, [she] served with dignity and integrity. [She is] someone who is well-respected and well-liked,” said Olanoff.
As Clark awaits trial, Olanoff asked for the public to allow the legal process to speak for itself. “People are charged with crimes every day. Not everyone who is charged with a crime is guilty. There is a process that takes place, and during that time, the truth will come out,” said Olanoff.