WATERVILLE — Waterville Senior High School Principal Don Reiter is on paid administrative leave for a reason school and police officials would not reveal Saturday — and which Reiter’s lawyer says he and Reiter don’t know.

“We are being kept in the dark,” Portland attorney Gregg Frame said Saturday.

Waterville Senior High School Principal Don Reiter, shown at the school, is on paid administrative leave, awaiting the outcome of a police and school district investigation. Reiter’s lawyer said he and his client don’t know yet why the probe is taking place. Courtesy of AOS 92

Eric Haley, superintendent of Alternative Organizational Structure 92, which includes Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro schools, said Reiter was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday. Haley and Assistant Superintendent Peter Thiboutot are conducting an investigation, Haley said.

“There’s an internal investigation and it’s been reported to the police, and the police have an active investigation,” he said.

Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey on Saturday confirmed an investigation is taking place and said police are going to complete it as soon as possible. He said the case was reported to police Thursday, but he could reveal no further details.

“All I can say is that, yes, we are conducting an investigation,” Massey said. “That’s all I can say at this point.”

Contacted Saturday, Reiter referred questions to Frame.

Frame, of the law firm, Taylor, McCormack and Frame, said he and Reiter are scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon with Haley and the school district’s attorney “to find out exactly what this is about.”

“Don’s been a principal nine years and an administrator 16 years and has an unblemished record, and we’re anxious to know exactly what’s going on,” Frame said. “And we’re certainly looking forward to speaking with the superintendent to understand why he’s been put on leave.”

Frame said Reiter wants the chance to understand just what the reasons are for the administrative leave and, if necessary, to clear his name so that he can return to work.

Haley said that as school superintendent, he has authority to put someone on paid administrative leave, which he did, and he informed the Waterville Board of Education about the action.

He said he doesn’t know when Reiter would be returning to work.

“We do not know. It depends on the findings of what both investigations are,” Haley said.

He said he informed high school teachers Friday about Reiter having been placed on paid administrative leave.

“I told the staff yesterday that during his absence, Assistant Principal Brian Laramee will be acting principal,” Haley said.

Contacted Saturday, both School Board Chairman Sara Sylvester and longtime board member Joan Phillips-Sandy referred questions about Reiter to Haley.

Reiter has been principal since 2007, when the School Board voted 7-0 to approve a recommendation by Haley and a search committee to hire him. He came with his wife, Terri, to Waterville from Buckfield Junior-Senior High School, where he had been principal three years.

A resident of Mount Vernon, Reiter holds a master’s degree from University of Southern Maine and a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Brown University. He also completed an extended teacher education program at USM after receiving his bachelor’s degree.

Reiter taught social studies six years at Mascenic Regional High School in New Ipswich, New Hampshire; and then after two years, he became chairman of the social studies/foreign language department there. Two years later, he became assistant principal and was certified as an administrator after completing a post-master’s program in educational leadership at Keene State College. He said in an interview in 2007 that he summered every year in Mount Vernon because he had relatives there.

Five hundred and fifty-nine students are enrolled at Waterville Senior High School, which employs about 51 teachers, according to Haley.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

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