Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title IV Chapter 32
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15 (2026)

Dereliction of duty by members

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 15. (1) Misappropriation of Funds. — Any member who has been charged with the misappropriation of funds or property of any governmental unit in which or by which he is employed or was employed at the time of his retirement or termination of service, as the case may be, or of any system of which he is a member, and who files a written request therefor shall be granted a hearing by the board in accordance with the procedure set forth in subdivision (1) of section sixteen. If the board after the hearing finds the charges to be true, such member shall forfeit all rights under sections one to twenty-eight inclusive to a retirement allowance or to a return of his accumulated total deductions for himself and for his beneficiary, or to both, to the extent of the amount so found to be misappropriated and to the extent of the costs of the investigation, if any, as found by the board. He shall thereupon cease to be a member, except upon such terms and conditions as the board may determine.

(2) Initiation of Proceedings. — Proceedings under this section may be initiated by the board, by the head of the department, by the commission or board of the commonwealth or of any political subdivision thereof wherein the member is employed or was last employed if not then in service, or in a county by the county commissioners, in a city by the mayor, in a town by the board of selectmen, in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation by the authority, in the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency by the agency, in the Massachusetts Port Authority by the authority, in the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District by the district, in the Blue Hills Regional School System by the system or in the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District by the district. The procedure set forth in subdivision (1) of section sixteen relative to delivery of copies, statement of service thereof, notice, hearing, if requested and the filing of a certificate of findings and decision, so far as applicable, shall apply to any proceedings under this section.

(3) Forfeiture of Rights upon Conviction. — In no event shall any member after final conviction of an offense involving the funds or property of a governmental unit or system referred to in subdivision (1) of this section, be entitled to receive a retirement allowance or a return of his accumulated total deductions under the provisions of sections one to twenty-eight inclusive, nor shall any beneficiary be entitled to receive any benefits under such provisions on account of such member, unless and until full restitution for any such misappropriation has been made.

(3A) Forfeiture of rights upon conviction. — In no event shall any member after final conviction of an offense set forth in section two of chapter two hundred and sixty-eight A or section twenty-five of chapter two hundred and sixty-five pertaining to police or licensing duties be entitled to receive a retirement allowance or a return of his accumulated total deductions under the provisions of sections one to twenty-eight, inclusive, nor shall any beneficiary be entitled to receive any benefits under such provisions on account of such member.

(4) Forfeiture of pension upon misconduct. — In no event shall any member after final conviction of a criminal offense involving violation of the laws applicable to his office or position, be entitled to receive a retirement allowance under the provisions of section one to twenty-eight, inclusive, nor shall any beneficiary be entitled to receive any benefits under such provisions on account of such member. The said member or his beneficiary shall receive, unless otherwise prohibited by law, a return of his accumulated total deductions; provided, however, that the rate of regular interest for the purpose of calculating accumulated total deductions shall be zero.

(5) If the attorney general or a district attorney becomes aware of a final conviction of a member of a retirement system under circumstances which may require forfeiture of the member's rights to a pension, retirement allowance or a return of his accumulated total deductions pursuant to this chapter, sections 58 or 59 of chapter 30 or section 25 of Chapter 268A, he shall immediately notify the commission of such conviction.

(6) If a member's final conviction of an offense results in a forfeiture of rights under this chapter, the member shall forfeit, and the board shall require the member to repay, all benefits received after the date of the offense of which the member was convicted.

(7) In no event shall any member be entitled to receive a retirement allowance under sections 1 to 28, inclusive, which is based upon a salary that was intentionally concealed from or intentionally misreported to the commonwealth, or any political subdivision, district or authority of the commonwealth, as determined by the commission. If a member intentionally concealed compensation from or intentionally misreported compensation to an entity to which the member was required to report the compensation, even if the reporting was not required for purposes of calculating the member's retirement allowance, the member's retirement allowance shall be based only upon the regular compensation actually reported to that entity or the amount reported to the board, whichever is lower. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, such member shall receive a return of any accumulated total deductions paid on amounts in excess of the compensation actually reported, but no interest shall be payable on the accumulated deductions returned to the member.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 45 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1983–2023 · leading case: State Bd. of Ret. v. Bulger, 843 N.E.2d 603 (Mass. 2006).
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State Bd. of Ret. v. Bulger, 843 N.E.2d 603 (Mass. 2006). · cites it 21× “At issue in this case is whether, pursuant to G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), John P. Bulger’s convictions of two counts of perjury and two counts of obstruction of justice in Federal District Court involved “violation[s] of the laws applicable to his office or position” as…”
Doherty v. Ret. Bd. of Medford, 680 N.E.2d 45 (Mass. 1997). · cites it 20× “In a hearing before the retirement board of Medford (board), the plaintiff was found guilty of misappropriating funds from the city of Medford, pursuant to G. L. c. 32, § 15 (1), thereby losing his entitlement to recover retirement deductions accumulated during his years as a…”
State Bd. of Ret. v. Woodward, 446 Mass. 698 (Mass. 2006). · cites it 13× “The primary question before us is whether the vote of the State Board of Retirement (board) to implement the pension forfeiture provisions of G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), against former *699 State Representative Francis Woodward, based on Woodward’s Federal convictions of mail fraud,…”
Garney v. Massachusetts Teachers' Ret. Sys., 14 N.E.3d 922 (Mass. 2014). · cites it 26× “This case concerns the scope of the pension forfeiture requirement of G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), and specifically whether forfeiture is warranted where a teacher has engaged in criminal activity that endangers children generally, but does not involve the students whom he taught, the…”
Ret. Bd. v. Buonomo, 6 N.E.3d 1069 (Mass. 2014). · cites it 17× “At issue is whether, pursuant to G. L. c. 32, § 15, and as a consequence of his convictions, Buonomo forfeited the retirement allowance that he previously had earned as a member of the board of aldermen for the city of Somerville.”
DiMasi v. State Bd. of Ret., 48 N.E.3d 452 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 24× “DiMasi, was convicted of several violations of Federal law, the State Board of Retirement (board) unanimously approved the forfeiture of his retirement allowance in accordance with G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), and a judge in the Boston Municipal Court Department affirmed the board’s…”
MacLean v. State Bd. of Ret., 25 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 1885 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 12× “268A, § 7, the board ordered that his pension be forfeited as provided by G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), and the District Court upheld the board’s decision.”
Pub. Emp. Ret. Admin. Comm'n v. Bettencourt, 47 N.E.3d 667 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 7× “” G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4) (§ 15 [4]). 1 We consider here whether this mandatory forfeiture of a public employee’s retirement allowance qualifies as a “fine” under the excessive fines clause of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
State Bd. of Ret. v. Finneran, 71 N.E.3d 1190 (Mass. 2017). · cites it 8× “After his conviction, Finneran was informed by the State Retirement Board (board) that his crime constitutes a “violation of the laws applicable to his office or position,” pursuant to G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), requiring the forfeiture of his pension.”
Maher v. Ret. Bd. of Quincy, 895 N.E.2d 1284 (Mass. 2008). · cites it 8× “We transferred this case from the Appeals Court on our own motion to consider whether a decision of the retirement board of Quincy (board) that the plaintiff’s entitlement to a retirement allowance (pension) had been forfeited pursuant to G. L. c. 32, § 15 (4), amounted to an…”
Herrick v. Essex Reg'l Ret. Bd., 933 N.E.2d 666 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 6× “8 Nonetheless, a direct link between the public position and the offense for which *655 the member is convicted must be shown, a connection which has not been shown here.”
Collatos v. Boston Ret. Bd., 488 N.E.2d 401 (Mass. 1986). · cites it 6× “The outcome of this appeal depends on our interpretation of G. L. c. 32, § 15 (3A) (1984 ed.), a statute mandating the forfeiture of retirement benefits by public employees who have been convicted of certain offenses.”
Show all 45 citing cases →
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(1) — 7 cases
Arruda v. Contributory Ret. Appeal Bd., 551 N.E.2d 537 (Mass. App. Ct. 1990).
Fid. & Deposit Co. of Maryland v. Sproules, 799 N.E.2d 147 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003).
Doherty v. Medford Ret. Bd., 3 Mass. L. Rptr. 233 (Mass. Super. Ct. 1995).
Clemente v. Reilly, 15 Mass. L. Rptr. 577 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002).
Whitty v. Barnstable Cnty. Ret. Ass'n, 24 Mass. L. Rptr. 379 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2007).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(2) — 2 cases
Maher v. Justices of Quincy Div. of Dist. Court Dep't, 855 N.E.2d 1106 (Mass. App. Ct. 2006).
DeLeire v. Contributory Ret. Appeal Bd., 605 N.E.2d 313 (Mass. App. Ct. 1993).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(3) — 7 cases
Brown v. City of Taunton, 454 N.E.2d 488 (Mass. App. Ct. 1983).
DeLeire v. Contributory Ret. Appeal Bd., 605 N.E.2d 313 (Mass. App. Ct. 1993).
Fid. & Deposit Co. of Maryland v. Sproules, 799 N.E.2d 147 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003).
Clemente v. Reilly, 15 Mass. L. Rptr. 577 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002).
Somerville Ret. Bd. v. Buonomo, 30 Mass. L. Rptr. 10 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2012).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(3A) — 3 cases
Herrick v. Essex Reg'l Ret. Bd., 933 N.E.2d 666 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). “8 Nonetheless, a direct link between the public position and the offense for which *655 the member is convicted must be shown, a connection which has not been shown here.”
Arruda v. Contributory Ret. Appeal Bd., 551 N.E.2d 537 (Mass. App. Ct. 1990).
Fid. & Deposit Co. of Maryland v. Sproules, 799 N.E.2d 147 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(4) — 19 cases
Herrick v. Essex Reg'l Ret. Bd., 933 N.E.2d 666 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). “8 Nonetheless, a direct link between the public position and the offense for which *655 the member is convicted must be shown, a connection which has not been shown here.”
Maher v. Justices of Quincy Div. of Dist. Court Dep't, 855 N.E.2d 1106 (Mass. App. Ct. 2006).
Ret. Bd. v. Tyler, 981 N.E.2d 740 (Mass. App. Ct. 2013).
Scully v. Ret. Bd., 954 N.E.2d 541 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011).
Flaherty v. Justices of the Haverhill Div. of the Dist. Court Dep't of the Trial Court, 981 N.E.2d 745 (Mass. App. Ct. 2013).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(5) — 2 cases
Ret. Bd. v. Tyler, 981 N.E.2d 740 (Mass. App. Ct. 2013).
Maynard Ret. Bd. v. Justices of Concord Div., 28 Mass. L. Rptr. 591 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2011).
— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 32, § 15(A) — 1 case
Ret. Bd. v. Tyler, 981 N.E.2d 740 (Mass. App. Ct. 2013).
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