School Committee Demands Money from former Essex Tech Superintendent

DANVERS, MA - The former Superintendent of the Essex Tech High School in Danvers collected nearly $90,000 in unauthorized pay and had school workers perform unpaid work at his home, according to the several investigations by the district School Committee.

A detailed report by Paul Leighton in the Salem News highlights many of those allegations against Dan O’Connell, who retired in the fall. O’Connell was hired in 2013 to head up the new Essex Tech, which is on the site of the former Essex Aggie school and combines several former vocational and technical school districts.

Among the allegations, O’Connell ordered the school business manager to pay him a stipend not authorized by the School Committee, directed the business manager to pay him a car allowance not authorized by the School Committte, used a gas card for personal use, and used a school employee to dog sit at his New Hampshire home without pay.

The Essex Tech School Committee has sent O’Connell a demand letter for the $88,902 plus gas payments that it claims O’Connell was overpaid as a result of the various allegations.

Essex Tech’s district includes Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Lynnfield, Manchester, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Swampscott, Topsfield, and Wenham.