Methacton Superintendent Dr. Timothy Quinn Resigns

Methacton School District Superintendent Dr. Timothy J. Quinn has resigned from his position, effective immediately. The announcement was made at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

Quinn, who was hired as the Methacton superintendent in 2008, was at the center of a scandal in recent months for an alleged relationship he was having with Dr. Diane Barrie, the district’s director of curriculum. Barrie also resigned, effective June 13, according to The Times Herald.

The district issued the following statement regarding Quinn's resignation:

The Methacton School District has accepted the resignation of Dr. Timothy Quinn, Superintendent of the School District, effective Tuesday, March 26th, for personal reasons. The resignation follows the District’s investigation of certain allegations made under the terms of the Pennsylvania Public School Code. Dr. Quinn tendered his resignation before any hearing was held, so there have been no findings of fact or conclusions of law regarding the allegations. There will be no further comment on this matter by either the District or Dr. Quinn.

The district did not comment on Barrie's resignation.

The Methacton School Board appointed a special outside legal counsel to conduct an investigation of the claims of inappropriate behavior in October of last year, but the two apparently resigned before the investigation could be completed.

A November 2007 story in the Intelligencer Journal revealed that Quinn had resigned from his previous superintendent position at the Elizabethtown Area School District in western Lancaster County after just four-and-a-half months on the job. A week later, his assistant in that position, Wendy Reisinger, was reassigned. Quinn and Reisinger later married, but Reisinger reportedly filed for divorce in October.

The board approved a limited separation agreement with Quinn and Barrie.

"The only compensation that is involved is that which they have earned," Special Counsel Frank Bartle said, according to the Herald. "There would be compensation with respect to whatever days they’ve worked thus far, whatever vacation time they’ve earned thus far, and whatever sick days they’ve earned thus far. That’s all."

In the meantime, the board will work to find a temporary replacement for Quinn.

"The Board of School Directors is in the process of identifying an interim Superintendent who will serve while a formal search for a Superintendent is conducted," wrote Methacton's Coordinator of Communications and Community Services Angela M. Linch, in an email to Patch.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

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