Charter School trustees fret over Commeret

MARBLEHEAD – Trustees of the Marblehead Community Charter Public School plan to respond to estranged school head Thomas Commeret’s request to return to work – and they say he’s looking for more than his lawyer has said.The trustees are scheduled to hold a regular meeting tonight at the school at 7 p.m. and Commeret’s request will be discussed, according to board secretary John McEnaney.McEnaney did not say if the discussion would be public, but he did say the board plans to disclose what the former school head is looking for.”Unlike what his attorney told you, he is looking for more than just (a) return to work,” McEnaney said. He declined to comment further.In addition to stating Commeret’s requests, the board also has the option of responding to them. Unconfirmed reports state that Commeret wants the trustees to pay him a contractual bonus of $6,000 and permission to work elsewhere during his leave.Scheduled to go on trial March 24 on charges that he assaulted and threatened a 14-year-old girl last year, Commeret is on paid administrative leave until June 30, 2009, earning $106,000 a year.The trustees received a formal detailed request for arbitration Jan. 22 from Commeret’s labor lawyer, Attorney Alfred Gordon and met in executive session to discuss the request Jan. 30. Following that hour-long morning meeting the board members referred the request to their lawyer, Attorney Barbara Buell.In a carefully-worded comment Wednesday, Buell said she is researching the contract and declined to state whether she has offered any advice to the board. She did say, however, “When a lawyer gives advice to people, they can take it or reject it.””This is going to be a process,” she said, “and I can’t comment on what I may have said to my client.”Commeret’s contract states that any dispute or disagreement regarding his employment under the contract will be submitted to “mutually agreed-upon alternative dispute resolution services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All rights and remedies available under applicable law shall be available to the parties in the Alternative Dispute Resolution forum.”Buell said she would like to know the thinking of the founding trustees who drafted the document to learn what they meant by the words “alternative dispute resolution.”