Templeton town administrator says school district dispute led to resignation

TEMPLETON — Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne says town and school officials created a “hostile environment” after he formed a working group to explore Templeton’s possible withdrawal from the Narragansett Regional School District, ultimately leading to his decision to resign.

Lamontagne submitted his resignation on March 4, stating that privately incurred legal fees and ongoing conflicts with the Select Board contributed to his departure. His last day is set for March 17, one day before a scheduled hearing regarding a complaint filed against him by Narragansett Regional School District Superintendent Christopher Casavant.

In his resignation letter, Lamontagne said he believed the Select Board was using the hearing “as a weapon” to prevent him from fully performing his duties during budget season.

“I had to defend myself from an unfair evaluation process conducted during my previous review and the time that the previous board tried to hold a hearing against me which failed in a 3-2 vote is when I retained legal representation,” Lamontagne wrote in his resignation letter, according to The Gardner News. “At this point, I feel that I am working in a hostile environment and feel that this board is using this upcoming hearing (in the middle of budget season) as a weapon against me so I can’t fully perform my duties.”

School district complaint and working group

The complaint against Lamontagne was reportedly filed after he created a working group—composed of three town employees—to assess the financial implications of withdrawing Templeton from the Narragansett Regional School District.

Lamontagne defended his decision, stating that it was part of his fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers.

“I thought it was just standard practice to do what you had to do to figure out the real cost,” he told The Gardner News.

A request for a copy of Casavant’s complaint was filed with the Templeton Town Clerk, but Casavant has not publicly commented on the matter.

Open meeting law complaint against board chair

Lamontagne’s resignation comes amid an open meeting law complaint filed by Select Board Clerk Jeffrey Bennett against Board Chair Michael Currie. The complaint, submitted to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, alleges that Currie violated transparency laws by adding agenda items at the last minute regarding the working group’s formation and actions.

In the complaint, Bennett wrote that the chair’s actions “would lead an average person to conclude the open meeting law was ignored by the chair and hence, the rest of the board.”

“I believe this was an intentional violation as this was the second selectboard meeting in a row that the chair tried or did add an agenda item at last minute and the video of both meetings show the chair knew in advance as I believe the videos of both meetings would lead an average person to conclude the open meeting law was ignored by the chair and hence, the rest of the board,” wrote Bennett.

Bennett also accused Currie of working behind the scenes with school officials and alleged that Casavant and School Committee Chair Jennifer Smith were aware of discussions before the Select Board formally took up the issue.

“Board meeting of February 12, 2025, with nothing on the agenda that would cause an ordinary person to believe there were any agenda items concerning school district superintendent and school committee chair to be present, other than to be in collusion with the Chairman concerning a complaint that the Chairman attempted to add to the meeting agenda at the last minute, actually after the meeting had begun,” Bennett wrote. He added that after some discussion by the board, the item was not included, leading Casavant and Smith to leave the meeting. “I believe those actions would lead the average person to conclude the school district superintendent and school committee chair knew in advance what Chairman Currie was going to do.”

Likewise, Lamontagne said, “I believe the chair was colluding with the district, that’s my belief.”

Smith, however, disputed Bennett’s claims, stating that she attended the February 12 meeting because of concerns raised by a social media post about the working group. She said she left after the Select Board declined to discuss the matter that evening.

Currie denied any wrongdoing, stating that he followed proper procedure and that Bennett’s accusations were based on misinterpretations.

“I have worked very hard to allow the board to have the proper conversation in the correct legal setting, but Mr. Lamontagne has chosen to exercise his right to resignation; I have not sought to undermine him, nor our budget stakeholders,” Currie said in a written statement, according to The Gardner News.

Bennett also alleged that Currie had mistreated residents and fellow board members during meetings, further fueling tensions within the town’s leadership.

Community reaction and next steps

Lamontagne said he has received widespread support following his resignation.

“I’ve had surrounding town administrators calling me, former mayors, police chiefs, town employees, a lot of residents in the town,” he said. “It’s been very overwhelming, and I really appreciate all the people in the community for all of their support.”

The Select Board is set to meet on March 12 to discuss Lamontagne’s resignation and address the open meeting law complaint. The meeting may also include a discussion on removing Currie as board chair.