Former superintendent responds to allegations in lawsuit

Nathan Levenson, through his attorney, Barry Klickstein, denied accusations in a suit filed by Stavroula Bouris and Charles E. Coughlin including a claim that he monitored e-mails exchanged between them for months in 2007 in an effort to oust Bouris after two previous efforts had failed and had resulted in a public outcry against Levenson.

Klickstein acknowledged that Levenson had “educational differences” with Bouris, the former principal of the Ottoson Middle School, and did not want to renew her contract, but changed his mind after seeing the extent of community support for her.

The lawyer said Levenson eventually decided to conduct an investigation into the relationship between Bouris and Coughlin, a teacher at the school, because Levenson thought evidence warranted the probe and not as a way of retaliating against them.

But an attorney for Bouris and Coughlin said there is proof that the investigation was retaliatory.

In their suit, Bouris and Coughlin allege their civil rights were violated by Levenson, Tracy Buck, a school technology department staffer who retrieved e-mails from the school server, and Jeffrey Thielman, a School Committee member who distributed copies of the e-mails to an Arlington blogger.

Levenson wanted to clear the air about his role, but could not talk directly with the Globe because he is a witness in Bouris’ ongoing arbitration case and is required to maintain confidentiality, said Klickstein. Bouris was fired in September 2007.

Last October, an arbitrator found Coughlin’s August 2007 termination was not justified and awarded him the right to assume his old job, as well as back pay and benefits. The Arlington School Committee has appealed that decision.

Frank Mondano , the attorney for both Bouris and Coughlin, said Bouris and Coughlin shared a close relationship as friends but were not romantically involved.

Klickstein said that Levenson intially decided not conduct an investigation when Buck brought him school system e-mails that appeared to suggest an affair. But he went ahead when confronted with e-mails from Bouris' private account that were left in his office from an anonymous tipster.

“They were put on his desk,'' said Kilckstein. "Once you have evidence of inappropriate behavior, you can't ignore it.

But Mondano said Klickstein's characterization of Levenson as a passive, unwilling player in the saga is "not consistent" with the testimony and evidence presented in Coughlin's arbitration.

"It doesn't match up to any information from any source. He is in error," he said.