College, president head to court

Board asking judge to toss Barry's lawsuit
By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff June 16, 2005
Details of the internal strife at Quincy College will go public this morning in Norfolk Superior Court, where the college's governing board is scheduled to square off against the president it put on leave three weeks ago.
College president Sean Barry sued its board of governors and chairwoman last week, requesting in his complaint that the officials be stopped from talking to the news media; that chairwoman Theresa Lord Piatelli be removed from discussion about his case; and that no further disciplinary action be taken against him. Barry also called on the board to reinstate him as president.
In the hearing slated for this morning, Superior Court Judge Isaac Borenstein is to hear a motion by Quincy College to dismiss much of Barry's lawsuit. The community college, which operates as a city department, has been reeling since a revelation two years ago that its surgical technology program was allowing students to graduate without the clinical experience required by potential employers.
Recent attention has focused on Barry's management practices. In April, a city audit found that problems with the scandal-ridden surgical technology program could be traced to the upper tiers of the administration. A few weeks later, a report from the state's Board of Higher Education indicated the college had made little progress since it voluntarily shut down the program a year ago. An investigation is now probing a possible misuse of tens of thousands of dollars of college funds for travel and entertainment -- the issue that prompted the board on May 25 to put Barry on paid leave.

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