The AB School Committee has adopted the practice of allowing public comments, but ignoring any topics or direct questions they do not want to address. This is not the spirit of public meetings and disrespectful to the citizens of our community. Acton Forum encourages all citizens who offer public comments at any public meetings to share them here (actonforum.com) and use the comment feature to engage in spirited discussion and disagreement.
Comments During the School Committee Meeting on November 2, 2021
By Marty Benson
In recent weeks there have been comments made that some in the community are prolonging the debate regarding the Colonial mascot. However, this is simply inaccurate. This debate has been prolonged due to the School District’s refusal to release public documents some of which are components in a yet undetermined Opening Meeting Law Complaint.
The state’s Open Meeting Law ensures that, with few exceptions, all parts of School Committee meetings and discussions are open to the public. Additionally, the State’s Public Records Law provides the public with the right to access copies of communications made or received by any officer or employee of any Massachusetts governmental entity. These two laws work in tandem to ensure that School Committee meetings occur in public and not through a private group chat. Elected officials attend educational trainings regarding the importance of both laws. The District even has its own related policy titled File: BHE-Use of Electronic Messaging by School Committee Members, posted on its website.
However, during the School Committee’s October 15, 2020 meeting multiple members including the former Chair disregarded these laws and can be seen exchanging text messages with each other throughout. Further, over 170 text messages were exchanged between School Committee members and administrators during their December 17, 2020 meeting. Starting a year ago, multiple detailed records requests were filed seeking copies of the text messages and emails which members were seen exchanging during both meetings.
Instead of simply complying with the Public Records Law, the District has refused to release these records by falsely claiming that these text messages aren’t public records or that they are not in possession of the requested text messages. The District has further complicated this process by spending tax dollars funding legal representation to prolong the appeals process with the Secretary of State’s office.
It should also be noted that while the District’s lawyers were working to withhold School Committee members’ emails and text messages, one member of this committee, filed her own records request last winter addressed to members of the Acton Select Board. Her request sought members’ personal communications regarding the Colonial mascot. The Select Board members immediately complied in-full with the Public Records Law and released the documents she requested. Yet, she, this committee, and the administration refuse to do the same. This behavior is the epitome of hypocrisy.
For over a year we have heard members of this committee say that they are “doing the work”. Well, abiding by the law is also part of “the work” of an elected official. Please stop wasting resources and release the records.
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