BEVERLY — School Committee members yesterday either supported Joan Liporto or declined to comment on the controversy surrounding the Beverly Public Schools finance director that came to light this week.
School Committee President Annemarie Cesa said she does not believe Liporto did anything wrong when Liporto sent e-mails to Superintendent James Hayes and School Committee members touting her husband for the job of school buildings and grounds director.
"Joan Liporto has done a great job as our business manager, and I'm sure she'll continue to do so," Cesa said.
The Salem News reported this week that, based on e-mails obtained through the state's public records law, Liporto tried to block consolidation of the city and school maintenance departments and threatened to quit if her husband wasn't hired for the new position of director of school buildings and grounds.
Liporto, who oversees the school maintenance department, hired her husband as interim director of school buildings and grounds in 2008. He is still the interim director while the city is looking to hire a permanent director.
Hayes, who is Joan Liporto's boss, has said he does not think she did anything wrong. The School Committee does not have hiring and firing power over the finance director position, but committee member Maria Decker said the committee "can exert pressure" on the superintendent to take some sort of action.
Decker said she is waiting for the School Committee meeting on May 17 before stating her opinion on Liporto.
"I know there's certainly chatter in the community," Decker said. "We're very sensitive to that. But in the forefront of our heads right now are budget issues and the assistant superintendent search."
Mayor Bill Scanlon, who is a member of the School Committee, said he does not know enough about the situation to know whether Liporto's e-mails constitute a conflict of interest.
"Frankly, I haven't been deeply, personally involved in the whole thing," Scanlon said. "I do think that as the school business manager she's done a tremendously good job and can continue to do so."
Hayes had tried to hire Tim Liporto last year out of the 62 candidates who applied for the job as school buildings and grounds director. But Department of Public Services Director Mike Collins objected, saying he should have the authority to hire.
The School Committee halted the hiring process in December in order to come up with a written agreement defining the hierarchy of authority under consolidation. Under the agreement, Collins will hire and supervise the new buildings and grounds director, and the schools will control the budget.
Joan Liporto sent an e-mail to Collins in January asking why he hadn't supported her husband for the job. Collins responded in an e-mail that any discussion with Liporto about her husband's job prospects "seems inappropriate."
School Committee member Paul Manzo declined to comment about Liporto. Committee members David Manzi, Karen Fogarty and Kris Silverstein could not be reached for comment.
Cesa said no one has raised the issue of the School Committee taking action over the e-mails.
"This is a non-story," she said. "Tim Liporto did a really great job for the Beverly Public Schools. It's unfortunate that the city has opted to hire a different buildings and grounds director, but it's their prerogative now that the hiring decision is on their side."
Collins has said he plans to advertise the position in time to hire someone by July 1.
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.
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