The State Ethics Commission took action Monday against a former official of a controversial Merrimack Valley agency for special needs children, accusing the former board member of violating the conflict-of-interest law by voting to transfer more than $5 million to a sister organization while he was negotiating for a job there.
It was the commission’s second enforcement action against former Merrimack officials. This one concerns James McCormick, a onetime associate of John B. Barranco, the agency’s former executive director. Barranco has been accused of seizing control of more than $10 million at the Merrimack Special Education Collaborative and transferring the money to a separate nonprofit called the Merrimack Education Center, using the funds to cover lavish salaries for himself and a former girlfriend.
Comments
Ethics in Massachusetts, that's funny.
What is the delay with charging Barranco with embezzlement?
James McCormick was Superintendent of the North Middlesex Regional School District (the district in which I live) for many years. I found him to be decidedly arrogant and not at all interested in serving children with special needs. When my daughter, who has high functioning autism, was to enroll in the district's summer school program, I asked McCormick if the district had done criminal background checks on the summer school staff my daughter would encounter. I shall never forget his curt response. He told me (in writing) that the district would not be doing criminal background checks because he did not feel it was in the public's best interest. I was floored! Ellen M. Chambers, MBA Consultant Special Education Rights & Process Massachusetts emchambers@charter.net