Separation Agreement to Pay Former Mashpee School Boss $425,000

MASHPEE – A separation agreement between the Mashpee School Committee and Brian Hyde will pay the former superintendent a lump sum of $425,000, according to one of Hyde’s lawyers.

Attorney Drew Segedelli, who represented Hyde at his recent criminal trial, said the money represents what Hyde was owed on his contract, which didn’t expire until 2018.

Hyde and the committee ended their relationship early last Friday morning after a nearly 5-hour executive session.

“Brian’s got to move on with his life after having invested 27 years into the school system, and now he has to move on,” said Segadelli.

The agreement last month came one week after Hyde was found not guilty in Falmouth District Court of trespass and breaking and entering charges in connection with a residency check.

He had been suspended with pay by the school committee since November 5.

After the verdict, Hyde’s two lawyers called on the school committee to immediately reinstate him.

A letter from Hyde posted on CapeCod.com last month said he had looked forward “to doing what I love most: working with teachers, students, and families to move our school system forward.”

Segadelli said news coverage in the Cape Cod Times and in other media outlets was biased and out of proportion leading up to the trial.

“Whether the amount is adequate or not, I’m not one to say, again he’s the father of eight children. None of the parties leave this happy,” said Segadelli.

A Falmouth District Court judge ruled in February that prosecutors failed to prove the elements of the alleged crimes and ordered a directed verdict.

The charges stemmed from a residency check he made last September at the home of Marilyn and Isabel King. Isabel had been trying to enroll as a student in the Mashpee school system.

But during the trial, both mother and daughter acknowledged on the witness stand that they were living in Sandwich until late September.

“Mr. Hyde is grateful for having had the opportunity to have worked in the Mashpee school system for nearly 30 years,” said Attorney Mark Gildea, who also represented Hyde.

Gildea said Hyde was disappointed that he won’t complete his career as an educator in Mashpee.

The case caused a shakeup on the school committee earlier in the year, when the board voted to strip Scott McGee of his chairmanship, saying he was too close to the superintendent.

McGee had been under fire at the time for not immediately releasing the results of an independent review of the home visit. He was replaced by Myers as the chairman.

That report came to no conclusions and made no recommendations after investigating Hyde’s actions.

The report said Marilyn King was inconsistent with her story while being interviewed by the private investigators.

King, according to the report, had trouble recalling dates, time frames, and conversations related to the incident.

By MATT PITTA, CapeCod.com News Director