EASTHAMPTON — The School Committee has opted not to publicly discuss a month-old critical report from the state attorney general’s office about racism and harassment last school year at Easthampton High School, with members instead standing by a statement from the committee’s chairwoman.
The committee is also opting to address the report through periodic updates throughout the school year from Superintendent Nancy Follansbee on actions the district is taking to improve school culture.
This so-called 10-point action plan is underway, with Follansbee calling for volunteers to participate in the new Stakeholder Advisory Committee that will meet monthly to discuss the investigations’ findings and help plan the steps to take for the next two years.
The AG’s office released the findings of its civil rights investigation on Aug. 25, a day after Follansbee presented findings from her own internal investigation at a School Committee meeting. The committee weighed in on Follansbee’s findings and her 10-point plan to improve school culture and climate. At that meeting, members also heard the findings from a Collaborative for Educational Services evaluation of the climate at the high school.
While Follansbee’s report cites an unevenness with discipline of students, the AG’s report found a years-long pattern of minority students being subjected to more severe discipline than white students at the high school, and insufficient training and policies guiding the staff’s response to racial incidents.
After hearing the attorney general’s findings, School Committee member Marissa Carrere said she made a formal request through email to Chairwoman Debora Lusnia to have a discussion on those findings scheduled on the agenda for the committee’s next meeting on Sept. 12.
“At the time, I felt like our community was looking for a response from the committee,” Carrere said.
Carrere’s request was never fulfilled. Lusnia said there was no new informaion in the AG’s report and an agreement was reached before the report was released, so the findings do not change how the district will be moving forward. Lusnia said she did not want to rehash the issues at the high school.
“Decisions are based on what is in the best interest of the students and the schools,” Lusnia said.
Lusnia said School Committee member Sarah Hunter showed interest in having a public discussion on the attorney general’s findings as well.
At the Sept. 12 meeting, Lusnia read a statement on behalf of the School Committee.
“We were shocked and upset when we read that report,” Lusnia said, referring to the attorney general’s report. “While it did not contain new information, the severity of the language used and the way it was presented was disturbing to all.”
She continued, “We are particularly troubled by the investigators’ findings that there were disparities in how disciplinary matters were handled based on a student’s race or ethnicity. Just as troubling are the extent of bias related incidents of bullying and harassment taking place and the lack of urgency to report, address, curtail or prevent such behaviors.”
Although Carrere said she would have liked to discuss the AG’s office findings at a meeting, she stands by Lusnia’s statement.
“At this point, time for this discussion has passed,” she said.
School Committee member Cynthia Kwiecinski said Wednesday that she has been happy with the progress moving forward. Kwiecinski said she probably would have liked to discuss the findings, but she said Lusnia’s statement covered her feelings on the issue.
“Things are going forward,” Kwiecinski said.
One of the first steps in moving forward is the creation of a new Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Parents, staff and students of Easthampton High School can apply online to join the advisory committee, on the Easthampton Public Schools website. Applications are due by Monday.
Follansbee also has been working with the Anti-Defamation League on various steps of her 10-point plan. Last month, teachers and other staff members at Easthampton High and White Brook Middle School participated in anti-bias training from the ADL.
ADL is also working with the district to develop a bias incident response protocol, as well as updating polices and procedures in the EHS student handbook. Follansbee is completing a draft of the bias incident protocol this week and the revisions to the student handbook will be brought to the School Committee in October for approval.
Follansbee said anti-bias training for high school students is expected to take place this fall and will be a program through the U.S. Department of Justice called Student Problem and Identification of Issues Together, or SPIRIT.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.