Crime

Chicopee superintendent indicted by grand jury for allegedly lying to officials

The charges relate to threatening messages officials allege that she sent to an applicant for Chicopee police chief.

Chicopee Public Schools Superintendent Lynn Clark. Don Treeger/The Republican

April 21, 2022

The superintendent of Chicopee Public Schools has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of making false statements in connection with allegedly sending 99 threatening messages to a candidate for Chicopee chief of police.

Lynn Clark, 51, of Belchertown, was indicted Thursday on two counts of making false statements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts said in a news release. She is set to appear in federal court in Springfield on April 27.

Clark was arrested and charged on April 6, and was placed on paid administrative leave by the Chicopee School Committee, according to MassLive.

MassLive noted that the school committee asked Clark to resign, but that she did not. On Wednesday, the committee discussed her future at the school in closed session, which Clark and her lawyer could have attended, but reportedly did not.

According to MassLive, a clause in her contract would allow the school committee to fire her before her contract expires with a two-thirds majority vote, but they would have to do so in open session.

The charges that Clark faces go back to December 2021, when Chicopee was in the process of hiring a new police chief.

On Dec. 3, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, law enforcement received a report that a candidate for the position was receiving threats intended to force the victim to withdraw an application for police chief.

In November 2021, after submitting the application for police chief, the victim allegedly received numerous text messages from unknown numbers containing threats to expose information that would hurt the victim’s reputation, according to officials.

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As a result, the victim withdrew the application for police chief and the city delayed the selection process, authorities said.

The investigation revealed that a total of 99 threatening messages were sent from fictitious phone numbers purchased through a mobile app, according to officials. Phone and internet records show that these numbers were allegedly purchased by Clark, authorities said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that on Dec. 6, 2021, Clark allegedly falsely stated to federal agents that she received threatening text messages from unknown phone numbers, when, in fact, she sent the messages to herself.

On Feb. 7, 2022, officials allege that Clark again falsely stated that she did not know who sent the messages, and denied that she had downloaded a mobile app with which she purchased the fictitious phone numbers.

Clark also allegedly later admitted that she did send the messages and downloaded the app, according to authorities.

The charge of making false statements carry a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Assistant Superintendent Alvin Morton is currently serving as the acting superintendent for the school district.

Clark’s contract expires June 30, 2023, MassLive reported. She was promoted to superintendent in 2020, and has worked for Chicopee schools for nearly 30 years.