METHUEN — A resident has gained enough support to begin the lengthy process to attempt a recall of School Committee member Laurie Keegan.
Petitioner Emily Nackley has submitted 150 verified signatures to City Hall to obtain a recall petition, and now she’s required to collect 2,941 signatures of registered voters to qualify for the recall before voters.
The number of needed signatures is equal to 50% of the number of residents who voted in the last election, according to City Clerk Anne Drouin.
Last election, 5,882 total residents voted, officials reported.
Nackley is pushing the recall due to Keegan’s alleged harassment of another elected official during a meeting in January, according to an affidavit submitted with the petition to the City Clerk’s office.
Although the number of required signatures is steep compared with other petitions, the recall process would require Methuen to hold a citywide vote to fill Keegan’s seat. Since the local issue can’t be put on a state ballot, it would likely require a special election costing the city $15,000 to $20,000, Drouin said.
During an unrelated court proceeding in February, a Lawrence District Court judge threw out a request for a harassment prevention order against Keegan by former committee member Kristen Maxwell. The legal request cited Keegan’s conduct during the January meeting as evidence.
Drouin, a city employee for more than 20 years, said she cannot remember a recall petition ever having succeeded in making it on the ballot.
Additionally, Nackley will only have 60 days from receiving nomination papers, being drafted by Drouin and the city’s legal department, to obtain the signatures. Each must be obtained in-person versus online.
Drouin estimated the papers will be ready some time next week.
The incident between Keegan and Maxwell began with a disagreement over seating before a committee meeting. During the interaction Keegan behaved aggressively by throwing mail at Maxwell, and most significantly by knocking Maxwell’s laptop off the table, according to Nackley’s affidavit.
In a police report, officer Chad Sirois describes how Maxwell and Keegan characterized the incident during an interview afterwards.
Both parties told Sirois that they have been experiencing ongoing bullying from the other, though Keegan alleged the bullying was more indirect at times.
“Ms. Keegan related that she has been having an ongoing issue with Ms. Maxwell having other people bully and harass her online for the past six months,” Sirois said. “Out of frustration Keegan admitted to shoving Ms. Maxwell’s computer off the table.”
Keegan had said that she had apologized after the incident and Maxwell had thanked her for the apology, according to the report.
Maxwell confirmed to police that her laptop was still working.
Days after failing to secure a harassment order against Keegan, Maxwell resigned her position. Her seat has since been filled by the runner-up in the last election, member Alejandro Baez.
If the recall petition is successful and a special election is held, Keegan would have the opportunity to run for her own position, according to the city charter.
Elected officials who are recalled or who resign during the recall process are barred from holding any municipal office for the following two years, city rules stipulate.
During the interaction before a meeting Keegan was also “observed making aggressive hand gestures towards Ms. Maxwell,” among other actions, according to the affidavit.
“This behavior constitutes harassment, unprofessional conduct, and a violation of the standards of an expected elected official entrusted with the governance of the Methuen Public Schools,” Nackley said.
Keegan said she did not have a comment at the moment because she had been unaware of the former recall petition.
Keegan was reelected to the committee in November with 2,369 votes.