Ex-Malden Employee Pays $7.5K For Violating Conflict Of Interest Law

MALDEN, MA — Former Malden Human Services and Outreach Director Karen Colon Hayes has paid a $7,500 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law, according to the State Ethics Commission.

Colon Hayes allegedly violated the law by hiring her two daughters and one daughter’s boyfriend for jobs with the city youth employment program she managed. She signed a Disposition Agreement in which she admitted to the violations and waived her right to a hearing.

As Malden Human Services and Outreach Director, Colon Hayes managed the Mayor’s Summer Youth and Employment Program (MSYEP), which hires youth ages 14-24 for paid jobs with the city. Her MSYEP responsibilities included hiring, authorizing pay increases, making job assignments, and timesheet approvals.

In March 2018, Colon Hayes hired one of her daughters, then supervised her work and signed her timesheets. Although the Mayor’s Chief of Staff told Colon Hayes in April 2018 not to supervise her daughter, she continued to do so. In July 2018, Colon Hayes approved a pay increase for her daughter, making her the highest paid MSYEP youth worker that year.

In 2019, Colon Hayes rehired her daughter and approved another increase in her pay, making her again the highest paid MSYEP youth worker that year. Colon Hayes also hired her daughter’s boyfriend to the MSYEP staff, then hired her other daughter to a MSYEP summer position and approved her timesheets.

"By hiring and supervising her daughters, signing their timesheets, and approving pay increases for one daughter, Colon Hayes violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against municipal employees participating as such in matters in which they know their immediate family members have financial interests," The State Ethics Commission said in a statement.

"In addition, by hiring one daughter’s boyfriend, Colon Hayes violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against public employees knowingly or with reason to know acting in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to doubt their fairness in the performance of their official duties," they continued.

Public employees in Massachusetts may contact the State Ethics Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.