Former Andover Youth Services Assistant Director Glenn Wilson Pays $9K Fine for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

Wilson received private compensation in
connection with his public employment

Former Andover Youth Services Assistant Director Glenn Wilson has paid a $9,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by receiving payments from a private nonprofit relating to his employment and because of his position as a Town of Andover employee. Wilson signed a Disposition Agreement in which he admitted to the violations and waived his right to a hearing.

In 2016, Wilson and Andover Youth Services Director William Fahey met with the president of the private nonprofit Hurston Family Foundation, who proposed the foundation would provide funding for Andover Youth Services, a division of the Town of Andover’s Department of Community Services, to support building maintenance, programming, and staff. Subsequently, it was agreed that Hurston Family Foundation would send the funding to another private nonprofit, the Andover Youth Foundation, which would in turn disburse the funds to Andover Youth Services.

Hurston Family Foundation began a series of donations to Andover Youth Services through Andover Youth Foundation in May 2016, in the first instance earmarking $3,000 of the funds for payments of $500 each to Wilson, Fahey, and four other Andover Youth Services staff members. Through 2020, Hurston Family Foundation made nine additional donations via Andover Youth Foundation to Andover Youth Services, all of which included private compensation for Andover Youth Services staff.  For each of these nine additional donations, Wilson, as Assistant Director, edited Fahey’s letters to Hurston Family Foundation describing how the funding would be allocated and listing specific “merit pay” payments to full-time Andover Youth Services staff identified by their names and public job titles, including himself, and submitted the letters using his official town email account. From 2016 through 2021, Wilson received a total of 10 payments of private compensation amounting to at least $17,500.

Wilson’s receipt of private compensation relating to his employment as Assistant Director of Andover Youth Services violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against municipal employees receiving compensation from anyone other than the municipality in relation to a matter in which the municipality is a party or has a direct and substantial interest. In addition, where Wilson was given the private compensation for or because of his public position, he also violated the law’s prohibition against public employees receiving anything of substantial value, unless authorized by law or regulation, for or because of their official positions. Finally, by editing the letters securing private compensation for himself and other Andover Youth Services staff in his public capacity and submitting them using his town email account, Wilson violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against public employees using their official positions to obtain for themselves or others substantially valuable unwarranted privileges.

The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.