NORTHAMPTON — The city paid former Northampton High School Principal Lori Vaillancourt $80,000 as part of a settlement last fall, some seven months after she was placed on paid leave following protests by students.

Vaillancourt officially resigned on Oct. 14 of last year, after student walkouts and calls for her ouster in the previous semester after school emails, requested by then-school committee member Susan Voss, revealed her describing students as “asshats” and led many to question Vaillancourt’s genuineness toward student equity initiatives at the school.

Prior to her resignation, Vaillancourt was placed on paid leave by former superintendent John Provost in March of 2022 following the controversy. The school’s associate principals and former Principal Nancy Athas filled in for Vaillancourt’s duties until a replacement was eventually found.

In addition to resigning, Vaillancourt agreed not to file any claims or complaints against the school district, according to the terms of the settlement. In return, Vaillancourt received $80,000 from the district, subject to withholdings for taxes.

In addition to the settlement amount, Vaillancourt earned $119,871 in 2022 for her work as principal, according to city payroll records, including the time she was placed on paid leave.

The school also said it would not contest Vaillancourt if she decided to file for unemployment, nor would it prevent her from seeking references from other Northampton Public School employees for future employment opportunities.

Vaillancourt did not respond to requests for comment.

Gwen Agna, the vice chair of the Northampton School Committee, said she was satisfied with the terms of the settlement.

“We’re glad we were able to settle this and move on with everyone’s lives,” she said.

The records request made by Voss last year was in response to Vaillancourt’s implementation of an embedded honors math program. The “asshats” remark was in an email Vaillancourt wrote in regards to students who wanted to meet to discuss the program. The resulting controversy also led to an internal investigation by the school district, the results of which have not been made public.

Vaillancourt has since been replaced by William Wehrli, who officially became principal of NHS in January. At a meeting with parents before being officially named the principal, Wehrli emphasized his commitment to student equity, citing his previous work at Amherst Regional High School and as assistant director at the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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