GRAY – The SAD 15 school board is holding hearings in closed session this week to deal with the possible dismissal of a school department administrator.

Brian McDonnell, SAD 15 director of finance and operations, the subject of the hearing, was present Monday with his legal counsel, attorney John Geismar of Bonneau and Geismar of Lewiston.

Bryan Dench of the Auburn law firm of Skelton, Taintor and Abbott served as hearing officer for the school board. Dench was retained to counsel the board to deal with the legal rights and duties of the board on insurance and liability matters.

The hearing was requested by interim Superintendent Vickie Burns, who is McDonnell’s direct supervisor. She requested that the board dismiss McDonnell based on an accumulation of evidence she tracked over time.

A large binder notebook marked “confidential,” measuring roughly 4 inches thick, was in the possession of the superintendent and Dench when the proceedings began.

Burns became McDonnell’s supervisor when Superintendent Michael Wood resigned from the district in early July.

McDonnell manages SAD 15’s food service, transportation, maintenance and custodial services, financial operations and support service personnel. He has been out on paid leave since early September, an action initiated by Burns.

In early September the owner of a day-care center came before the board during public comment to bring a formal administrative complaint against McDonnell and the board over a ruling and a hearing to pick up students at a cluster bus stop.

McDonnell said on Monday that he is in the midst of a difficult divorce that started last spring.

He also sustained a severe head injury in February 2001 when hit by a car while crossing a street when he was on duty as a commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve unit on assignment in Washington, D.C. He returned to work after several months of intensive rehabilitation.

The board indemnified district employees in late October whose testimony is needed for the case. Employees of the district who have information pertinent to the charges were fearful that their participation would expose them to personal liability. Because of that, Burns said last week, their participation might not be forthcoming unless they were indemnified.

Ten of the 11 members of the school board were present.

A court reporter, Anita Lachapelle, from Verbatim Reporting of Portland was also present.

Attorney Bruce Smith of the Portland-based Drummond, Woodsum and MacMahon law firm, the school district’s legal representatives, also attended.

Closed-door hearings continued Tuesday and Wednesday nights. A decision is expected by the end of the week.

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