PORTLAND (AP) – The superintendent of Maine’s largest juvenile corrections facility was removed from his post Monday while the state conducts an independent investigation of management of the facility.

Lars Olsen, who headed the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, agreed to be reassigned to the Department of Corrections’ central office in Augusta. Olsen has been under scrutiny since documents in a pending lawsuit alleged that he and other state officials approved of isolating and shackling a teenage resident for periods that far exceeded the center’s own policies.

Corrections Commissioner Martin Magnusson and Olsen met Monday and decided it would be better for Olsen to step aside while the state conducts its review, said Denise Lord, the department’s spokeswoman. Olsen was not available for comment.

“There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing,” Lord said. “We thought it would be a good opportunity to pull Lars out and give everybody a breather.”

State officials will name an interim superintendent Tuesday, as well as an outside examiner, said Lee Umphrey, spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci.

Baldacci ordered an internal investigation last week after the charges in the court documents became public. A day later, Long Creek’s largest union called for a no-confidence vote on Olsen and other senior managers.

Baldacci received a preliminary report on the youth center last week and met with Magnusson Friday. Baldacci encouraged Olsen’s removal, Umphrey said.

“The governor thought that while we are assessing the management, it’s the best thing to do – to reassign Mr. Olsen so we can better gauge the management at the center,” Umphrey said. “I think that the governor saw that there are clearly some problems, and without blaming one person, he thought it best to make this change and find a solution.”

Olsen took over as head of the former Maine Youth Center in 1998, when the facility was plagued with overcrowding, staff morale problems and lack of funding. When the Long Creek facility opened last year to replace the aging Maine Youth Center, Olsen stayed on as superintendent.

A former resident identified only as Michael T is suing Olsen and other officials.

The suit says that Michael T. was held in solitary confinement for 87 days – far exceeding the youth center’s three-day maximum policy. The documents also allege that he was tied down in restraints for 49 hours in a row, while the rules called for a 30-minute maximum.