CLAREMONT, NH–In a letter dated May 22, the SAU #6 School Board informed Superintendent Middleton McGoodwin that it had “recently met regarding your employment as Superintendent of the Claremont and Unity School districts. After a lengthy discussion, the Board voted to pursue other leadership of SAU 6 effective at the end of this current school year. As you are aware, Paragraph 8 of your employment contract provides for termination of your contract with six months of severance pay and one year of health insurance coverage. In lieu of using this provision, the Board will give you an opportunity to voluntarily resign prior to June 30, 2018.
“The Board appreciates that this is an important decision for you and would like to give you an opportunity to consider this news and to meet with personal legal counsel if you elect to do so. The Board meets again on June 14th and would like notification of your decision prior to that meeting. If you elect not to resign, the Board will plan to take action in accordance with Paragraph 8 to terminate your contract with pay that evening. If you elect to resign, the Board will honor the severance provisions in Paragraph 8 and would like to execute a settlement and release agreement with you….” The board added that it “plans to review and vote to approve any such agreement at its meeting on June 14th.”
The board went on to thank McGoodwin for “your years of services…”. It was signed by Sara Lowe, Chair of the SAU #6 Board, and Michael Petrin, Vice-Chair of the board.
When contacted late this afternoon and asked if he had resigned, McGoodwin said, “I have not resigned” in an email.
He provided a copy of his response to the SAU Board, dated May 24, which said in part, “In an effort to remain invested with many ongoing initiatives involving SAU #6, the City of Claremont, Sullivan County as well as educational matters at the state level, I plan to extend professional courtesy to certain individuals I interact with in order to explain the situation I have been placed in as a result of this SAU #6 School Board action.
“I am very proud of the professional and personal relationships I have formed over the past seven years as SAU #6 Superintendent of Schools. As a result, I intend to be thoughtful, and knowledgeable, as I process the SAU #6’s School Board action, to determine what steps will be necessary to be least disruptive to the overall well-being of the SAU #6 School District…”
McGoodwin received word of the board’s decision at approximately 4:30 p.m. May 22, he said in his letter.
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