Student Safety, HR Controversies, and Path Forward for Track and Field Restoration Challenge School Committee

Report on the Joint Meeting of Amherst Regional School Committee and Union 26 School Committee, December 13, 2023

The meeting was held in-person in the Amherst Regional High School library and was simulcast by Amherst Media. A recording of the meeting can be found here. Twenty-seven members of the public were present at their peak and another 32 followed the proceedings streaming on Amherst Media. 

Present
Anna Heard (Shutesbury), Sarahbess Kenney (Amherst Regional School Committee Chair, Pelham), Katie Lazdowski (Amherst), Irv Rhodes (Union 26 Committee Chair, Amherst), William Sherr (Pelham), Jennifer Shiao (Amherst), Roger Wallace (Amherst), Gabriela Weaver (Amherst), Tilman Wolf (Leverett),
David and Miguel Pinero Jacome (student representatives), Doug Slaughter (Interim School Superintendent)

The meeting ran from 6:30 p.m. to 10:46 p.m.

Meeting Highlights

• The most common topics for public comment were the termination of Amherst Middle School teacher Erin Lawler and the debt authorization for the track and athletic field renovations.
• Maureen Fleming, Mental Health and Behavior Administrator of the Amherst Regional Public Schools (ARPS), reported on the program to create an administrative position to address general mental health and safety of LGBTQ+ students. 
• A new course, Advanced Engineering and Design, was approved for the high school curriculum.
• Union 26 reviewed the contract for the incoming Interim Finance Director, the Four Towns budget report preview, and the superintendent job posting.
• Interim Superintendent Doug Slaughter refused to answer the Regional School Committee’s questions about the termination of Erin Lawler after she was fully exonerated by a district investigation.
• Debt authorization for track and athletic field renovations was tabled until the next meeting. A subcommittee will be formed to research synthetic turf and solicit public input.

Mental Health Action Plan Report
Maureen Fleming, Mental Health and Behavior Administrator for the district, gave a report on her efforts to provide support for LGBTQIA+ students and address mental health issues affecting students and staff, and provided an update on plan that she is developing.. Fleming reported that the LGBTQIA+ parent advisory group was doing well and had discussed issues of harassment and bullying, and the student advisory group was providing individual guidance to address harms to students during the past few years. Upcoming initiatives include anti-sexual harassment work, which will  begin in a couple of months. The action plan intended some work to continue beyond the year, such as the parent affinity group, meetings with counselors and principals, and collaborations with LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations such as the UMass Stonewall Center, Safe Schools, and TransHealth to provide resources and trainings.

When asked what benchmarks for change are used to evaluate the action plan, Fleming answered that the program uses post-training reflection forms and relies on statistics gathered from reports of bullying and harassment. Jennifer Shiao asked if  counseling positions were fully staffed, to which Fleming responded no, and cited difficulties hiring highly qualified people to interim positions.

A key issue raised by Katie Lazdowski and Anna Heard was the lack of options available to students who do not feel safe with their assigned counselors. Fleming responded that the program that the district is currently developing  advocates that students should find a trusted adult, and is not limited to counselors. Lazdowski and Heard raised concerns about staff who did not feel comfortable reaching out to their supervisors due to fear of retaliation and hence would not follow up on student complaints as was a significant problem last year.

Slaughter asserted that many different adults are able to handle bullying reports and that these reports go to multiple people.

Heard pointed out that the RSC had asked about the lack of options for students several times and was not provided an answer. “The system has severely broken down,” she said. Heard reminded the committee that reports of homophobic and transphobic abuse of students at ARMS last year were mishandled or dismissed out of hand and the problem apparently continues. She went on to explain that staff and students perceived  that there was nowhere to effectively raise issues of bullying and harassment because an administrator had previously threatened staff and faculty with  retaliation. She asked whether there was any system to prevent this from being repeated, including hiring or designating an external person to handle reports of abuse.

Fleming passed this question on to Slaughter, who provided no new input other than to say that if people felt that their concerns were not being addressed they could always bring those concerns to him or to the building principals. Marta Guevara, Director of Student and Family Engagement for the district,, stated that it was the responsibility of staff to bring complaints forward. Neither she, nor Fleming, nor Slaughter, offered any explanation of how the current system differs from the one that failed last year or why they expect it to provide better protection for students who are experiencing harassment or discrimination.

New Engineering Course at High School
Nathaniel Woodruff, a physics teacher at ARHS, presented a proposal for a new course for the high school curriculum: Advanced Engineering and Design. The course, which received an Innovation Pathways grant and guidance from the state, focuses on how to use advanced manufacturing equipment, materials science, and the design and manufacturing process. It was designed to rely on existing and donated equipment, so no new equipment or space will be necessary.

When asked about staffing, Woodruff explained that the course would pull students from existing engineering courses, freeing up a section to maintain the current number of engineering staff. Capacity was estimated at 20 to 24 students who would be required to have completed the introductory level engineering class.

The RSC voted unanimously to adopt the course into the curriculum.

Public Comment
Greta Biagi, Jenny Franz, Laura Hunter, and Irene LaRoche who spoke on behalf of the Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA), expressed concerns that that ARMS science teacher Erin Lawler had been inappropriately fired, after she had been exonerated in a 51-A investigation into a charge of misconduct. The comments alleged that the charge had been filed in retaliation for a report Lawler had made as a mandated reporter and that she had also been targeted because she is a parent of a transgender child. The commenters demanded an explanation for why Lawler had not been reinstated following her exoneration, noting that she is a beloved and effective teacher, and that her absence from the classroom was depriving students of a quality science education.

School Committee member-elect Sarah Marshall expressed concern that the RSC was considering a motion to rescind the borrowing authorization for track and field renovations, and charged that the motion had been made at the previous meeting without due diligence or transparency, and possibly in violation of Open Meeting Law. She questioned the right of the current School Committee to rescind the previously made decision.

School Committee member-elect Deb Leonard also called out the RSC for a lack of transparency, charging impropriety on the part of the Subcommittee for a New Superintendent (SNS) because, she said, the committee’s work was inaccessible to the public. Leonard called for the subcommittee to be disbanded. 

Ali Wicks-Lim and representatives of the APEA called out the district’s mishandling of the recent Title IX investigative reports. Wicks-Lim also criticized the administration for ignoring the public’s questions about how the district is currently handling reports of bullying. They pointed out that it has always been staff’s responsibility to report bullying and harassment, but this system has already failed students.

The Title IX and non Title IX reports found that issues of discrimination, bullying and harassment are systemic within the district, that administrators are complicit, and that the district’s response to abuse of students was deficient. Yet nothing has changed, they said, charging that Interim Superintendent Slaughter has actively undermined the reports in his recent statement in the Daily Hampshire Gazette and in his refusal to hold people accountable. “We are rebuilding the same systems that have already failed kids,” Wicks-Lim argued. “Students deserve new leadership.” Read her full comment here.

APEA likewise stated their commitment to safety for all students, including LGBTQIA+ students, and called for the resignation of HR consultant Kathy Mazur, who was charged in the reports of investigations with conducting inadequate investigations into reports of bullying. The APEA called for greater accountability on the part of the district’s HR office.  In addition, they said that they were denied the opportunity to review the reports of the investigations prior to their release, and called for the redaction of the names of APEA members in the reports to protect their privacy and removal of the reports from the district web site until those redactions are made.

Maria Kopicki spoke in support of the motion to rescind the borrowing authorization for the track and field renovation project, noting that doing so would afford the school committee the full range of options to complete the project.  She noted that this motion would in no way stop the project as some have charged, and that the town currently has the money in hand to install now a new, reoriented track, expanded to eight lanes, if a grass infield option is adopted in place of artificial turf.  Her full comment can be read here.  Laura Hunter echoed Kopicki’s remarks.

Elizabeth Haygood, a retired teacher and coach at Amherst Regional High School, spoke of her frustration with the inferior athletic facilities at the school and demanded that the RSC stop shortchanging Amherst athletes and expedite repairs on the track and field facility.

Georgia Malcolm, who works in the high school athletic office, protested the inadequacy of the athletic budget noting that she has been personally driving  athletes to contests and practices when the school cannot provide transportation.  She said that she plans to personally rent a van to provide daily transportation for wrestlers who participate in the coop program in Granby and who currently must provide their own transportation.

Mike Offner, a parent of three children in the Amherst schools, alleged that there is pervasive antisemitism in the district and protested that the superintendent has not responded to multiple communications asking him to address the issue.

Three people offered public comment by voice mail.

Meghan McKerra, a parent of three children in the district spoke in support of Erin Lawler and asked for her reinstatement.

Kate Queeney urged the committee to consider in detail the maintenance and upkeep plans neccessary for any field they install.

Melissa Yates: voiced concerns about ongoing bullying within ARPS and the need to support LGBTQIA+ students.  She recommended that the district improve the reporting system for bullying and discrimination which she charged is currently inadequate and makes it difficult for parents to file reports.She also objected to the “blind hiring processes” instituted by former Assistant Superintendent Doreen Cunningham.

Comments that had been emailed to the RSC were scrolled on the screen at the front of the room.

Update on Superintendent Search
The RSC and Union 26 reviewed the draft of the job posting for the superintendent position. Points of discussion included language capacity, state certification, and graduate degree requirements. The vote to approve the job posting passed the RSC unanimously and Union 26 unanimously with 1 absent.

One key concern was the role of the search committee in the hiring process, as well as the potential for public forums to allow the community to give input. The following clarifications were made: A search committee of no more than 20 students, parents, and staff and chosen by the Subcommittee on a New Superintendent (SNS) will view applications, choose and interview applicants, and select finalists. The search firm, McPhearson and Jacobson, will hold community input sessions and advertise to candidates. Lastly, a joint committee will select the candidates to offer the superintendent position from among the finalist.

Shiao also asked whether SNS had the power to move the search forward before the next meeting by scheduling meetings and outreach with the search firm, including public meetings. Kenney was in support of empowering SNS to do so. The vote to authorize the SNS to move forward with these suggestions passed the RSC unanimously and Union 26 unanimously with 1 absent.

Following questions by the student representatives, the subcommittee explained that two students will have seats on the search committee, which they can apply for using the interest form by January, and that students will be able to attend the public forums. The suggested timeline for hiring the new superintendent was to complete the process by July 2024.

Superintendent Update and Erin Lawler
During the superintendent update, the RSC requested that Slaughter provide more information about the termination of Erin Lawler due to the numerous emails from the public expressing concern about her absence. Slaughter refused, claiming that the information is a personnel matter and does not fall under the purview of the RSC.

Heard countered, saying, “This is the second instance of a teacher being terminated with little to no communication to parents,” adding that Lawler’s absence was detrimental to students’ education. Heard also argued that this brought the issue within the scope of the RSC and inquired about solutions.

Slaughter was also questioned about any personnel besides Lawler who had been fired without proper investigation. He defended the terminations on the grounds that it is legal to fire people within the first 90 days for any reason or for no cause at all.

Following this, Lazdowski expressed concern that this 90-day vulnerability made it more difficult to attract people to work in the district. Lazdowski also asked what message this sends to students who feel unsafe but cannot tell their teachers because staff may lose their jobs for reporting it. Slaughter did not answer.

Shiao also asked, as she has at each RSC meeting since the release of the Title IX reports, how many total terminations resulted from the Title IX investigation. RSC Chair Sarahbess Kenney attempted to cut her off saying ‘This is a personnel matter,” suggesting that it was not within the purview of the RSC and not a proper subject for discussion. But Slaughter responded. Previously Slaughter had always answered “No” to Shiao’s inquiry but this time he answered “three”. Slaughter has been staunch in his refusal to discuss any personnel matters with the RSC but has also said that the fact of whether or not someone is employed by the district is public information, and is not protected as a personnel matter.

Debt Authorization for Track and Field
The discussion opened with a motion to rescind the debt authorization to borrow funding to renovate the athletic field with synthetic turf. That motion had been made and tabled at the RSC meeting of December 1. The rationale for rescinding was to allow the RSC to explore the full range of options for improving the track and field facility (including natural grass, turf, and a repair to the track with no field improvements). Under the current debt authorization, the RSC is only permitted to just replace the 6 lane track or to install an artificial turf infield in a reoriented and expanded track. Escalating costs, lagging fundraising, and growing concern about public health and environmental hazards of artificial turf have led some RSC members to consider a broader range of alternatives in order to expedite the repair of the track which is currently condemned.

Kenney opposed rescinding, saying it would endanger fund raising efforts and delay progress on the renovations.

Rhodes also opposed rescinding at this time and argued for waiting until the next meeting to revisit whether or not to officially rescind the debt authorization.

Tilman Wolf advised the RSC to table the motion anticipating a long discussion and citing the late hour when this topic had finally come up.

Weaver wanted to reconsider the limiting language of “synthetic turf” in light of public dissent. However, Slaughter cautioned that some of the smaller towns might have to exercise their right to call a Special Town Meeting to approve a new debt authorization, which could be expensive.

Sherr reported that the Pelham Finance Committee was completely unaware of the restriction to synthetic turf due to a lack of communication. Sherr was also unable to obtain updates on fundraising from the Hurricane Boosters which the RSC had been seeking since early November. The last report on fundraising was in January 2023 when the RSC deemed that the $331K the Boosters reported as either received or expected was sufficient to proceed. The funding in hand to date totals ~$3.4M, which is well short of the $4.7M estimate for the artificial turf option in 2021 dollars. The additional amount needed to meet burgeoning costs or items excluded from the original estimate has yet to be officially determined .

Shiao advocated that the RSC rescind and replace the debt authorization with one that did not limit the district to the use of synthetic turf. Both Weaver and Heard offered motion language for a new authorization. Slaughter expressed concern that the language had not been approved by bond counsel but Heard noted that the language was simply a modification of the existing order. The RSC voted 5-4 to table the issue until their next meeting on January 9, 2024 to ensure the language is legally viable (Kenney, Rhodes, Wolf, Weaver, Wallace voted for the motion and; Shiao, Heard, Lazdowski, and Sherr against).  

A subcommittee to research synthetic turf and gather public input, including from student athletes, was formed. This motion passed with 7 to  1 with bKenney voting against, and with Rhodes abstaining. The subcommittee will be filled on January 9, 2024, after newly elected Amherst School Committee members are seated and during subcommittee reassignment.

The student representatives asked what the timeline was on renovations. Slaughter responded that the designers have still not been selected and that it was expected it would take a year until construction bids would occur.