The Town’s effort to get an Essex County Superior Court judge to dismiss Bill Fahey’s wrongful termination lawsuit against Town Manager Andrew Flanagan is not sitting well with supporters of the longtime, former head of Andover Youth Services.
“The select board and the town manager’s actions and lack of actions have fueled the defamation of his character by pursuing one-sided arguments using non-credible information from a woman who filed the initial complaint inappropriately, retracting information and public documents, and then finding fault with actions by Bill that do not warrant termination,” Andover resident Kathy Levine said during the public comment period of Wednesday’s select board meeting.
Earlier this month, lawyers for the Town filed a motion for summary judgement and more than 200 pages of exhibits in the case, including Facebook posts, text messages Fahey exchanged with a former AYS client, and excerpts from depositions. The Town argued in its motion the evidence shows Fahey had an inappropriate relationship with the woman, and Flanagan had more than enough cause to fire him in May 2021. In his response to the Town’s filing, Fahey once again denied the accusations and portrayed the Town’s actions as the culmination of a five-year witch hunt to remove him as AYS director.
Fahey remains popular among many former AYS clients and parents. Following his termination, the entire AYS staff resigned in protest and residents planted yard signs in support of Fahey, and that loyalty hasn’t wavered in the intervening years. Supporters are hoping the judge rules against the Town when the sides meet in court on Aug. 1 for a pre-trial conference so Fahey can make his case in a trial.
“We desire a trial to occur so that the truth will be made known and that those who mishandled this investigation will be held accountable,” Levine told the select board. “We cannot wait to go to stand behind Bill in court. We will be there, just like Bill was always there for the youth of Andover.”