Wicked Local Newton has posted the much anticipated investigation of the response to anti-Semitic graffiti at Day Middle School this school year. Jonathan Dame’s story is here. The heavily redacted report is here.
Much anticipated report about anti-Semitic graffiti at Day Middle includes a lot of white space
by Greg Reibman | May 6, 2016 | Newton | 14 comments
There were six recommendations. Yet four of them were redacted.
Well, this certainly helps shed some light on what happened. Exceptionally helpful document.
What the lawyer wrote up was longer than what no redacted in the report. If the city paid $3200 for the report, how much did the city spend on the lawyers to redact everything?
Before making judgements about this, it’s important to know who did the redacting. It’s possible to redact names and identifying information and still leave the essence of a statement. In my previous comments on this I defended removing names and identifying information, but I don’t understand why whole comments were redacted.
Why?
Hey, at least they waived the fee for getting the report. 😛
Who was involved in the redacting of the report? Was it solely done by the lawyers who are merely following some laws, or were the lawyers supervised and directed?
Wow. That report insults one’s intelligence. I’ll have to keep Atty. David M. Connelly’s contact details in my rolodex for those times when I need to obfuscate and stonewall.
Greg is right. We can pass judgement know.
Below is a link to a Globe article concerning the redacted report:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/05/06/lapses-cited-after-graffiti-found-newton-school/qUx9LkafURxdhwn8QHbl6K/story.html#comments
I’m not the least bit surprised that this is how the School Committee chose to handle the report, hiring their own attorney to keep the public from finding out the truth. First, Fleishman plays the role of the fall-guy, and says he’s not going to release the report. The media pushes back, and Fleishman changes his tune. Then the School Committee does what they apparently do best… engage in yet another coverup to keep the truth from the public.
But really, we [Newton parents, residents, voters, and taxpayers] are the ones to blame. Because we have repeatedly allowed the SC to engage in this type of behavior and get away with it. Frankly, Matt Hills and the rest of this SC make me ashamed to live in Newton. They have been derelict in their duty by failing to address substantial health concerns for students, failed to adequately discipline a Superintendent who perjured himself in front of half the city, hidden facts from the public for personal reasons, broken the law on at least five occasions, and now once again engaged in a coverup to protect their own reputations and the jobs of their colleagues and underlings.
In my 53 years in Newton, I have never come across a more contemptible “public servant” than Matt Hills, who remains the best example of why the Charter Commission should include a recall provision in their proposal.
@Mike – I agree that the current School Committee has been a disappointment. I will not vote for any incumbent School Member due to the total disregard for transparency.
This is of no surprise, this is how the city law department has operated for years. For some reason, they don’t feel obligated to the people of Newton, but to those elected by the people. This is a disgrace. the substance of the report isn’t a very important issue, but I do hope the Globe takes this all the way if necessary to court, on principle.
I have yet to hear the charter commission address recall of elected officials. This is a gaping hole in the current Charter.
I know john Stewart suggested it, I know I wrote an email to them as well. I assume others have too.
@Neal – I agree the “New Charter” should have a recall provision. The last four years of former Mayor Cohen should make doing so a no brainer.