BUXTON, Maine — The hiring of Maine School Administrative District 6 Superintendent Frank Sherburne’s son as an educational technician at Buxton Central Elementary without state credentials could have financial consequences for the school district and result in the superintendent losing his own credentials, according to the Maine Education Association.
Lois Kilby-Chesley, president of the MEA, said that if MSAD 6 hired an educational technician who was not authorized and any state funding was used toward that person’s salary, the state could ask the district to give back the funding.
Kilby-Chesley also said that under state law, because Zachary Sherburne was hired without proper authorization, the DOE could decide to rescind the certification of his father.
Zachariah Sherburne worked as an educational technician at Buxton Central Elementary from Feb. 8 through March 11.
Zachariah Sherburne, 23, was indicted in April on charges of gross sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor after he allegedly assaulted a 16-year-old student. According to court documents, he befriended the girl while working in MSAD 55 as an educational technician at Sacopee Valley High, and began seeing her outside of school.
After his indictment, it was revealed that Zachariah had not gone through the proper channels to obtain his job with MSAD 6, including providing the proper paperwork and being presented to the full school board. And because his father is the superintendent of the district, the School Board ruled Tuesday night that the district had violated its nepotism policy when hiring Zachariah.
“The board is taking steps to address the personnel matter,” stated the School Board in a written online statement.
The MSAD 6 board chairwoman and vice chairman did not respond to questions for this story by press time.
The investigation from the law firm and the School Department further reveals that in mid-February, Zachariah Sherburne received a letter from the Department of Education notifying him that his Feb. 2 application for authorization to become an educational technician was incomplete because he submitted unofficial copies of college transcripts.
DOE’s Director of Communications Anne Gabbianelli said that according to state statute, educational technicians must be authorized with the state before they begin work. She did not comment on Zachariah Sherburne’s specific case, but said if someone had an incomplete application, they would not be authorized to work as an educational technician.
Kilby-Chesley said that Zachariah Sherburne did not work for the district long, and it was unknown how much, if any, state funding was used for his salary. She added that many districts these days are running on tight budgets and can’t afford to lose any money.
Buxton parent Amanda Cooper, a teacher at Gorham Middle School, has filed a complaint with the DOE, asking that it take “proper action” against MSAD 6 and MSAD 55 for failing to follow state law.
“I implore you to do the right thing for the sake of the children in SAD 6 and SAD 55 – they deserve honest leaders in their school district who should serve as role models, not people who choose to work by their own set of rules without any repercussions,” said Cooper in her complaint.