Ex-School Comm Member Pond-Pfeffer + Others Share Concerns + FHS Principal Responds on Vandalism

Above, Judith Pond Pfeffer, departing School Committee member.

Principal Hanna addresses FHS Community Via Youtube...            [Content updated 11-2-21 12:40 pm]

It’s been a week to remember. Last Tuesday the School Committee hosted a group of parents using the citizens comment period to highlight their concerns about age-inappropriate literature, lack of recess in schools, and how “protected class” designations affect individual students. That was punctuated by an exchange of words and “yelling” involving an FHS student representative and parents – an incident that soon became national news.

In the meantime, “back to normal” at the High School has apparently produced malaise, with multiple incidents of vandalism, students making a mess of the lunchroom, and incidents of disrespect shown to teachers, according to a video message posted to Youtube by Principal Joshua Hanna.

But back to the simmering controversy surrounding the School Committee meeting of Oct. 26. Outgoing School Committee member, Atty. Judith Pond-Pfeffer, who was at the meeting, shared her comments for publication via email:

At a School Committee meeting it is customary to have two members of the high school, generally (only on committee for two years) a junior and a senior - they are present to inform the SC and the residents watching the committee what is happening at the High School. It is not a forum for the students to enter into dialogue with the SC nor the residents present.

Mackenzie is very open and has provided a more personal view of the high school and her position in the high school. Mackenzie should never have been allowed to address the residents present with her understanding of what is a "protected student." All students are protected, often sometimes some are more protected than others.

The first mother who spoke out was, in my opinion watching this from a front row seat, not attacking Mackenzie but speaking out as to the definition of a "protected student." Mackenzie has shared with the SC and residents watching and listening that she is gay and has endured continuing bullying and insulting comments. The other mother in the audience responded, again, in my opinion, to what Mackenzie was saying not actually to Mackenzie as a child addressing the residents, at this meeting.

Yes, bullying goes on, I would volunteer that bullying is going on in all high school grades as well as in all middle school grades. High school and middle school are not your happiest years growing up.

Many, many kids, being bullied for whatever reason, do not report to a teacher, nor a person in charge. They just endure the bullying. It takes a strong person to speak out and bring this to the attention of us the residents, and us the teachers and us the parents of the kids who are doing the bullying. Bullying has been going on since I was in middle school and high school, those many, many years ago, in the Franklin School System.

It would be nice if this was a perfect world, but, alas, it is not.

-- Judith Pond-Pfeffer

Other School Committee Voices

In response to a note from one of the parents that spoke out, two school committee members responded to that individual regarding the incident. One said the parent was getting a sympathetic hearing regarding the concerns raised until the shouting began. “My perception of the behavior you exhibited towards Mackenzie last night made me less likely to want to consider your viewpoints as reasonable,” the SC member added.

A different SC member wrote that, “I personally did not feel any comments from either party were made in malice. When individuals speak about topics they feel passionately about emotions are inevitable...In my experience I have found when a topic generates so much emotion, there is a story that needs to be heard.”

Rules and Regs

Steve Sherlock’s Franklin Matters also highlighted relevant statutory language regarding the limits of the oft-cited Open Meeting law, which allows the public to “listen in” on policy making but does not guarantee them any right to be heard. That’s a “privilege” accorded to some degree by Franklin’s deliberative bodies through the aforementioned Citizen Comment period. He also noted (giving credit for the tip to State Rep. Jeff Roy) that the School Committee does have a process for handling complaints about controversial literature and pedagogy in general.

Interfaith Council

The Franklin Interfaith Council also weighed in the matter with a statement issued last Friday, reproduced below:

A Call to Our Community: #LOVEfranklin

We are appalled by the recent lack of respect and civility shown to Mackenzie Atwood, a Franklin High School senior and student representative to the Franklin School Committee, who spoke with courage at the October 26, 2021, Franklin School Committee meeting about the discrimination she and her friends experience on a regular basis. The interruption and attempt to silence Mackenzie by speaking over her cannot and should not be tolerated.

Over the last several months, we have become acutely aware of an increase in hate-filled rhetoric and vandalism in our community. Hate speech and vandalism against members of the LGBTQIA+ community, racial slurs, and anti-Semitic graffiti cannot and should not tolerated. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to hate-filled language and actions no matter how frequently they may occur in our community or elsewhere. We must speak out and act against hate to build a better community.

Each of our faith traditions calls us to love: to value the sacred worth of everyone, treating each person with dignity and respect. To be very specific, let us love Franklin. We resolve to create a beloved community where all persons regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnic background, age, stature, ability, creed, or faith can find a home.

Therefore, we commit ourselves to love Franklin. And, we ask you to commit yourself to love Franklin too.

• Rabbi Tom Alpert, Temple Etz Chaim
• Susan Borchard, Franklin Federated Church
• Rev. Eric Cherry, First Universalist Society in Franklin
• Mary Diehl, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franklin Interfaith Choir Director
• Rev. Maggie Geller, St. John's Episcopal Church
• Alisa Hansen, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Rev. Dr. Jacob W. Juncker, Franklin United Methodist Church
• Father Brian Manning, Saint Mary Parish, Franklin MA
• Rev. Kathleen McAdams, St. John's Episcopal Church
• Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt, Franklin Federated Church