WATERVILLE — Don Reiter said no matter what the outcome of his public hearing is Tuesday before the Board of Education, his once-unblemished reputation as an educator and school administrator is forever tainted.
The principal of Waterville Senior High School was placed on paid administrative leave more than two months ago for reasons no one will reveal, and both school officials and police have investigated allegations against him.
Reiter, speaking for the first time in an exclusive interview with the Morning Sentinel this past week, said he has nothing to hide.
“I can say that I absolutely deny the allegation and did not do anything wrong,” Reiter said.
His attorney, Gregg Frame, said the allegations are based on a communication, rather than an event. He and Reiter are adamant Reiter should be returned to his job.
Frame, of the Portland law firm Taylor, McCormack and Frame, said he is confident Reiter will retain his job as principal, but if he is dismissed, they will appeal within 30 days. There is no reason Reiter should be disciplined, let alone dismissed, according to Frame, who said he harbors no doubts about his client’s innocence.
“The moment I met with Don, that was never an option because of how he comported himself with me and my very pointed questions,” Frame said. “I had no doubt from the outset.”
School Superintendent Eric Haley and Assistant Superintendent Peter Thiboutot conducted an in-house school investigation after Haley placed him on paid leave. They interviewed about 20 high school teachers and staff members, and Haley reported the case to police.
Haley and Thiboutot’s attorney, Melissa Hewey of Drummond Woodsum, also of Portland, said no one wins in this case, which is difficult for everyone – students and school employees, administrators and others.
“I don’t see this as a matter of prevailing,” Hewey said. “Bringing this employee to the board for termination is a decision the superintendent and assistant superintendent agonized about for a long time, and so it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about having the board hear what happened and deciding what they think is in the best interest of the kids at Waterville Senior High School.”
Haley said he did not take the decision to recommend dismissal lightly.
‘THE HARDEST DECISION’
“I can tell you it’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make as a superintendent,” he said.
Whatever the outcome, Reiter said, he has lost not only his chance for career advancement because of the situation, but he also has spent thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees to defend his position.
Reiter, 44, earns about $102,000 a year.
Probably the most devastating loss has been that of his family. Reiter’s wife, Terri, filed for divorce two weeks after he was placed on leave Sept. 1.
“Our marriage couldn’t withstand the incredible stress that the fallout from this allegation has caused,” said Reiter, of Mount Vernon. “It has cost us our marriage and it is costing our 7-year-old daughter the only family she has ever known.”
He said his divorce has nothing to do with the allegations and he has tried to protect his family from the fallout. Reiter’s wife is on Frame’s list of witnesses and could testify in support of her husband, although Reiter and Frame do not know whether she will.
Reiter, looking tired and thinner than he was a few months ago, said “it’s been a very anxiety-inducing process.”
Reiter and Frame said they could not discuss the allegation or whom it involves, as they believe Reiter will be returned to his job and are aware of confidential personnel and student matters.
Frame and Reiter, in speaking with the Morning Sentinel, said they wanted a chance to talk about Reiter’s experience as an educator and relay the depth of angst and turmoil the allegations have caused him.
“Don’s reputation has been shattered by this – just by the accusation – and so I think it is important that people get the chance to see who he is,” Frame said.
The Waterville Police Department conducted a separate investigation, forwarded its report to the District Attorney’s Office, and District Attorney Maeghan Maloney says her office will not make a determination in the case until after the public hearing before the Board of Education.
The board will hold a hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the gymnasium at George J. Mitchell School on Drummond Avenue to come to its own findings. Some of it will be in executive, or private, session because of confidentiality rules. Both Haley and Frame say they believe the hearing will require more than one session to complete.
Commonly in cases such as this, the accused does not fight the allegation, particularly in a public venue, but Reiter wanted the hearing open.
“I want a public hearing because I have nothing to hide and I think everything should be out there,” Reiter said.
ALLEGATION AFTERMATH
Reiter said he first got wind an allegation had been made against him on Friday, Aug. 28 – the second day of school.
Haley called Reiter the following Monday, Aug. 31, to notify him he would be placed on paid administrative leave the following day. Since then, Reiter has been busy meeting with attorneys and preparing for whatever is to come.
If, based on the evidence, the Board of Education returns him to his job, then he will go back to work.
“If I am not back at work and don’t have a job, I’ll have to sell my house,” he said.
A lot of faculty members at the high school support him, he said. He said he believes the faculty was told, at minimum, not to discuss the case with him and possibly not to have contact with him. While few have called him, he has received several text messages and cards in the mail expressing support, he said.
“I’ve got a great staff and I’ve been fortunate in that,” he said.
Haley said he did not tell the faculty not to contact Reiter.
Asked whether the public will learn what the allegations are at the hearing, Frame declined to answer. Because revealing the allegations would reveal confidential information, it is likely the exact nature of the allegations will not be made known, according to Frame. But the public will likely infer “a ton” from hearing the questions that are asked of witnesses, he said.
In what Frame terms “some procedural unfairness,” police, who will testify at the hearing, have not responded to his numerous requests for information in the case, although school officials have spoken with police, he said. Frame said he was, however, able to obtain from the school a video of an interview police had with Reiter’s accuser.
He said he does not know why police forwarded their report of the investigation to the district attorney’s office.
“I don’t think this merited further consideration beyond the school investigation,” he said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.