Jun 19, 2009 10:38 pm US/Eastern
Police Raid Lawrence Superintendent's Office
LAWRENCE (WBZ) ―
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Police raided Lawrence Schools' superintendent's office and removed computers.
WBZ
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Lawrence Schools Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy
Lawrence Schools
State and local police officials have seized computers in an investigation involving the Lawrence School Superintendent's Office.
Lawrence police Chief John Romero couldn't say if Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy is at the center of the investigation.
Police were searching Laboy's office at 225 Essex Street Friday afternoon.
Romero said the raid is part of an ongoing investigation, though he couldn't comment further.
Laboy, 58, has been on medical leave since checking into a hospital with work-related stress on May 14. He is expected to return to his job next week.
He is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this year, an
aide to the superintendent resigned for using school computers for unauthorized background checks.
In 2005, Laboy got into a shoving match with a member of the school committee.
The criminal investigation stems from complaints filed by School Committeeman Sammy Reyes, who asked police to probe ethics violations and other alleged misconduct involving Laboy and others.
"It's politics at its worst," Reyes said. "It's just a black eye for the city."
Reyes is the one who set the investigation in motion when he requested a closer look at Laboy. He first asked the state ethics commission and the office of campaign finance to look into whether Laboy was letting certain candidates use the school's graphics equipment to make campaign posters and flyers.
"We have sometimes teachers that need paper, need books, pens, penciles, and here we are just giving paper away," Reyes said.
But Friday's raid is part of a criminal probe.
"It was definitely going on on a much bigger scale, and I can't comment on it, but it was," Reyes said. "That is why the investigation is going on today, and it's much bigger than anybody can imagine."
Chief Romero said police used a search warrant to remove computers and other materials from Laboy's office.
Laboy has been school chief in Lawrence for nine years and is the school district's first Latino superintendent.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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