Outcry Over Fahey Firing Continues At Select Board Meeting

ANDOVER, MA — Public outrage over the firing of Andover Youth Services Director Bill Fahey continued at the Select Board's latest meeting Monday.

During the meeting's public comment period, the board heard from a series of residents and others upset about Fahey's firing and the way the town has handled it.

Speakers included Suzanne Allen, a former Youth Services employee who now lives in Harvard. Allen shared a letter from over a dozen other female employees of the department who vouched for Fahey, in response to suggestions that the firing was for inappropriate behavior.

"He unfailingly treated everyone with equity and respect," Allen said. "As a female staff member, I never saw Bill treat anyone even remotely inappropriately."

Other speakers criticized the town's handling of the situation, including the redaction of the report that town officials say led to Fahey's firing. State officials recently told the town that its justification for redacting the report did not hold up.

Fahey is suing the town and Town Manager Andrew Flanagan for breach of contract and defamation. Flanagan recently responded, claiming that Fahey admitted to some of the findings in the report.

The full meeting is available here from AndoverTV.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.