No agreement yet between Johnson, Sandwich

Source: Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.存倉Nov. 09--SANDWICH -- Former schools Superintendent Mary Ellen Johnson and the town will head back to Barnstable Superior Court on Wednesday without a settlement in place, Johnson's attorney said Friday.The two sides met Monday and could not come to an agreement, according to Paul Nevins, Johnson's attorney said."We did meet and talk. We're far apart," Nevins said without disclosing what Johnson is seeking. "There was a brief discussion of mediation, but the time for mediation is over."Last month, Superior Court Judge Christopher Muse ruled that Johnson's two-year contract extension was breached by the Sandwich School Committee. He ordered the two sides to either come up with what Johnson was owed or the court would decide.A hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday in Barnstable Superior Court.Nevins has said that the $300,000 in salary that Johnson's two-year contract extension would have paid her, as well as the ensuing interest, is a starting point for a settlement. He would also like to collect the money that Johnson has paid him in legal fees.Town Manager George "Bud" Dunham referred calls to the town's attorney in the case. Attorney John Davis, who represents the town's insurance company, could not be reached for comment.Nevins said Friday he also would ask the judge to reconsider other claims made by Johnson that Muse rejected.Muse dismissed Johnson's cl儲存im of intentional interference by School Committee members during the contract squabble. The judge called the actions by the four board members who opposed Johnson's contract extension "petty and demeaning," but said it did not rise to the level of interference.Nevins said he will use a 1984 case between Vanessa Redgrave and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to argue for consequential damages. In that case, which was ultimately decided by the U.S. First Circuit Appeals Court, Redgrave was awarded $12,000 after the orchestra canceled her appearance because of her support for the Palestine Liberation Organization. The court found that she had a valid contract.Nevins said he will argue that actions taken by the School Committee to have Johnson's employees disregard her directives interfered with her ability to do her job and has had an ongoing effect on her ability to get another administrative position."As a result of abrogation of Mary Ellen Johnson's contract, she became unemployable as a superintendent of schools," Nevins said.Nevins said he and his client had hoped that the judge's ruling on the contract would prompt a quick resolution with the town, but that now seems unlikely."The town is not serious about settling," Nevins said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) Visit the Cape Cod Times (Hyannis, Mass.) at .capecodonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉