LAKEVILLE — Freetown-Lakeville Superintendent Alan Strauss has cancer, he announced at a June 12 School Committee Meeting. It was the first time he had shared his diagnosis publicly. 

The announcement was delivered to address comments made during public participation in previous school committee meetings regarding stipends that were given to employees of the school district’s central office, he said.

“It saddens me to comment on this and have to share, once again, that I was given the very difficult medical diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in July of 2023, a diagnosis that has required extensive treatments and extended hospitalization and continual medical appointments,” said Strauss.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that progresses more slowly than other types of leukemia. It is not curable, but patients can live with the disease for many years, according to Cleveland Clinic medical center. 

Strauss had previously informed the school committee and school district staff of his diagnosis, school committee members said, but had not yet made a public announcement. 

Upon learning about his condition, the school committee encouraged Strauss to go on medical leave, but Strauss insisted that he would continue to do his job, said School Committee Chair John Burke. 

Knowing that he would need assistance as he was undergoing treatment, the committee decided that delegating a portion of his workload to central office members would be the best course of action, Burke said. 

The school committee decided in executive session at a meeting in November that two central office employees would receive stipends of $1000 and $500 respectively per paycheck to help with the superintendent’s duties. 

The decision was made in executive session, which members of the public are not privy to, to respect the superintendent’s wish that his medical situation remain confidential, school committee members explained. 

That choice drew criticism from community members. 

Lakeville Select Board member Lia Fabian said she understood and empathized with the school committee’s decision, but “when you’re signing contracts with people on stipends, those are supposed to be done in open session.”  

Addressing the stipend situation in open session would have led to questions from the community about something that the superintendent wanted to keep private, said Vice School Committee Chair Will Sienkewicz. 

Strauss stated that the support that central office employees offered him during this time of need allowed him to focus on his health and recovery while also allowing the district to continue to move forward.