Lawrence school committeeman may forfeit seat

December 12, 2007 08:15 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Russell Contreras, GLOBE STAFF

LAWRENCE — A newly elected Lawrence School Committee member might not take his seat next month after a criminal background check revealed he was arrested and convicted of larceny and forgery more than 40 years ago.

James Stokes, 64, acknowledged Wednesday that he had served three months in jail and said this would not influence his performance as a School Committee member. "My past is my past," Stokes said in a telephone interview. "I will resign if it will affect my family."

Stokes, who was questioned about his criminal record after the Globe conducted a background check, said he was arrested on those charges in 1963, when he "was underage," but records show he was 20 or 21.

The background check also revealed that Stokes was charged with forgery, larceny, uttering, and a compulsory insurance violation in 1986. Records in Lowell District Court indicate that Stokes forged documents related to a raffle and a bazaar. The insurance violation resulted in a $125 fine. Stokes said he did not serve jail time for those charges.

Stokes, who has run for a number of Lawrence offices, had his first victory when he beat incumbent Greg Morris for the District F seat in November. Stokes said that as a School Committee member he would vote to fire Superintendent Wilfredo T. Laboy.

When contacted Wednesday, Laboy declined to comment about Stokes. But he said School Committee members and school district employees "must be held to a high standard" to work successfully with children.

For years, Stokes has been a regular speaker at City Council and School Committee meetings and a volunteer for the Toys for Tots Foundation. He has no children in the system.

According to the district’s rules, if Stokes does not take his seat, the second-place finisher in the election, Morris, would take the position.

Mayor Michael J. Sullivan, who also chairs the School Committee, said he believes that nothing legally prevents Stokes from serving on the School Committee. "At the same time," said Sullivan, "it may bring questions to the creditability to his votes."

Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com.