Report: Northampton principal who called students ‘asshats’ was paid $80K in departure agreement with district

The principal of a Massachusetts high school who was placed on leave and later left the job last year after referring to some students as “asshats” received $80,000 under a deal for her departure from the district, according to a MassLive report.

The outlet reviewed a copy of the settlement between Northampton Public Schools and Principal Lori Vaillancourt, who had made the comment about a group of students in an internal communication that came to light in March 2022.

According to MassLive, payroll records show the payment made Vaillancourt the highest-paid Northampton employee last year. She earned $195,430 in 2022.

Vaillancourt declined to comment to the publication about the settlement on Friday.

Vaillancourt’s remarks were made public after a former School Committee member filed a records request to illustrate how the school made a decision to terminate an honors math program and put both honors and non-honors students into a single class.

The Student Union voiced concerns about the change at the time. Vaillanourt subsequently wrote in one message the students were “trying to decide where they stand.”

In another message, the principal told a co-worker: “Keep talking about equity and they will be in our camp. They are mad because they weren’t part of the decision-making.”

Vaillancourt later apologized, calling her word choice “unprofessional and hurtful.”

Following criticism, then-Superintendent John Provost placed Vaillancourt on paid leave, according to MassLive.

Provost also hired an independent party to review Vaillanourt’s conduct.

MassLive reports Vaillancourt signed her departure agreement on Oct. 14.

The district and Vaillancourt agreed to the settlement and to end her tenure in Northampton — via voluntarily resigning — to avoid a lawsuit, according to the paperwork reviewed by the outlet.

According to MassLive, a spokesperson for the School Committee said the committee knew about the settlement, but members are unable to publicly comment on personnel matters.

Vaillancourt started the job in January 2020 with a starting salary of $110,000, a copy of her contract reviewed by the outlet shows.

Her last paycheck totaled almost $100,000 — a sum that included the $80,000 settlement payment; $16,000 compensation for unused paid time off; and a week of pay, according to MassLive.

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