Opinion: Amherst Forward Silent As Community Rallies Around LGBTQ+ Children

A shorter version of this column appeared in the Amherst Bulletin.

In response to the Regional School Committee’s refusal to act against homophobic and transphobic attacks on students, as well as the lack of transparency and suppression of public dissent, Amherst’s residents are calling for accountability for school administrators and officials. Recently, local organizers, made up of parents and frustrated community members, began collaborating with the LGBTQ+ Caucus of the College Democrats of Massachusetts on organizing efforts. 

On August 3, Amherst Forward, a political group that has endorsed four of the five town’s School Committee members, received a letter signed by the leadership and various members of the LGBTQ+ Caucus. The letter presented the following requests from members of the public:

• Call for the Amherst and Regional School Committees to hold an emergency meeting to address the concerns of the public.
• Acknowledge and denounce the administrative actions and inaction which harmed LGBTQ+ students at the Amherst Regional Middle School. 
• Ask the Regional School Committee for meaningful action to protect LGBTQ+ children, including removal of any/ all staff who were determined to be complicit in their harm. 
• Encourage the centering of the safety and well-being of children in approaching this situation, and state that people expressing public support for those who have caused harm to children will cause further harm. 
• Ask School Committee member Peter Demling to apologize for his initial dismissal and suppression of the disclosures of harm to LGBTQ+ students at the Middle School. 
• Express support for a transparent School Committee in which silencing tactics are not welcome. 
• Call for a fair response that puts both School Superintendent Mike Morris and Assistant School Superintendent Doreen Cunningham on administrative leave, rather than allowing Morris to take leave on his own terms while Cunningham has been placed on involuntary leave. 

Amherst Forward Chair Katherine Appy responded, calling the situation “an issue that we, along with so many in Amherst and beyond, have found distressing and heartbreaking.” Nonetheless, they declined to meet any of the requests made, citing adherence to voting issues and reluctance to act before the conclusion of the ongoing Title IX investigation into staff mistreatment of students and administration’s mishandling of the abuse.

It is difficult for Amherst Forward to parrot concern when their refusal to stand with students signals a shocking level of acceptance towards homophobia, transphobia, and the systemic failures that enabled its perpetrators. Their silence is loudly hypocritical considering their frequent, vocal advocacy surrounding numerous other local issues such as library funding and even school buildings. Yet for some reason, denying LGBTQ+ children a safe and equal education is not considered serious enough to warrant attention. It seems that to propel Amherst forward, marginalized children must be left behind.

Though Amherst Forward may claim to limit itself to “voter education regarding candidates and issues that come to a vote”, the problems in the school system have already passed that threshold. The systemic failures that permitted staff to mistreat students and administration to turn a blind eye extend to the School Committee members, who are up for re-election in November. Whether the next electeds will hold Morris accountable and commit to protecting LGBTQ+ students is now a voting issue.

Their hesitance to act before the conclusion of the Title IX investigation likewise makes Amherst Forward complicit in the systemic acceptance of marginalization. The investigation is far from impartial – since his unpopular return, Morris will receive and determine the disposition of its results despite failing to report discrimination under federal law. Still, this obvious conflict of interest remains unresolved. Waiting for such a compromised conclusion also prevents the School Committee from taking action to protect students in time for the approaching school year, especially after the administrators’ complicity in abuse has already been exposed. As a result, the public’s consensus is that the investigation will be too little too late to be effective. Nonetheless, Amherst Forward uses it as an excuse for inaction despite concerns about the conflict of interest.

Amherst Forward prides itself on a progressive-sounding platform, painting the organization as a vocal champion of civic engagement and responsive government–and now that both ideals are in jeopardy, it is time for them to follow through on their values.

Yet as November’s School Committee elections draw nearer, it is increasingly clear that Amherst Forward does not intend to side with the people of Amherst. Rather, they are unwilling to hold their own candidates and School Committee members accountable for the harms they perpetuate against students, families, and the community at large. When we take a further look at the candidates Amherst Forward supports, they are often unwilling to protect LGBTQ+ children or uphold transparency in the School Committee’s supposedly public process.

In particular, School Committee member Peter Demling has sparked significant outrage for dismissing victims who spoke out about discrimination in the schools, as well as suppressing public comment and transparency during School Committee meetings. Amherst Forward’s endorsements of Peter Demling and candidates who are similarly complacent towards systems of marginalization have been disappointingly predictable based on their long-running preference for the interests of the white and affluent of Amherst as opposed to fair representation and ethical, transparent town government.

Amherst Forward’s non-response sends a clear message that they prefer to stand by as the town leadership they back ignores the suffering of the most vulnerable parts of our community. Though they claim that “it’s important that this issue in particular doesn’t simply fade away after a few news cycles, and we look forward to your continued attention to the situation at the middle school”, their response is meaningless without the corresponding advocacy they refuse to apply to the school officials at fault. Their inaction leaves the responsibility of defending not only students, but democracy itself, in the hands of the rest of Amherst’s community.

Kairo Serna lives in Amherst and is a member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee