The Aroostook County school board that oversees a superintendent facing felony charges isn’t saying much about her arrest.
The board knew about Superintendent Elaine Boulier’s Jan. 25 arrest before the Bangor Daily News published a Wednesday story revealing the charges, Troy Grass, chairperson of the SAD 42 school board, said.
But he did not answer a question about when the board learned of the charges, and declined to comment further. Her arrest was not announced by officials, and it didn’t appear to come up publicly in recent school board meetings.
Boulier faces charges of victim tampering and violation of condition of release after she tried to coerce a woman to drop domestic violence charges against the superintendent’s son, police said. She’s due to be arraigned on the charges June 7 at Presque Isle District Court and remains at work.
The school board, which has oversight of the superintendent, includes Steve Robinson, Fred Boyd, Ryan Kilcollins, Jason Woollard and Brian Cumming. Kilcollins and Woollard did not return phone messages. Attempts to contact other board members were unsuccessful.
The SAD 42 board held a regular meeting on Feb. 14, but it’s unclear if it discussed Boulier’s case. Following regular school business, a 37-minute executive session was held to discuss staffing, meeting minutes say.
Boulier has been charged, but there hasn’t been a conviction, noted Steve Bailey, executive director of the Maine School Management Association and Maine School Boards Association, which represent superintendents and board officials.
“The charge has been made, and it’s one that I think the school department will continue monitoring and do the right thing for both the employee and the district,” Bailey said.
A school board may vote to fire a superintendent if there is cause, and only after proper notice and investigation, according to the school boards association handbook.
Last January Oxford Hills Superintendent Monica Henson was placed on administrative leave after she allegedly restrained a student improperly. She resigned in April, the Associated Press reported.
Boulier’s attorney, Frank Bemis of Presque Isle, said his client’s charges are not related to district business but declined to comment further. SAD 42’s attorney did not immediately return requests for comment.
The superintendent is elected by the school board at a special meeting in December, SAD 42 bylaws state. Boulier has led the district serving Mars Hill, Blaine and Bridgewater for about eight years and led Van Buren’s schools from 2016 to 2021.