Council members demand report of Gorton incident

John Howell
Posted 7/16/15

Neither Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson nor Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur and Council President Donna Travis are happy with the way the School Committee has buried a report it …

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Council members demand report of Gorton incident

Posted

Neither Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson nor Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur and Council President Donna Travis are happy with the way the School Committee has buried a report it commissioned.

All three want to see what attorney Vincent Ragosta learned when he investigated the administration’s response to reports that a Gorton teacher drew phallic symbols on the arms of two female students.

“I’m not going to remain silent on this,” Vella-Wilkinson said in an interview Tuesday. “We’re not going to let this drop.”

Vella-Wilkinson has not been alone in efforts to determine where the district failed. In April she was joined by Travis and Kathleen Unsler and School Committee member Karen Bachus in calling for a vote of no confidence in superintendent Richard D’Agostino, director of secondary education Dennis Mullen and school human resources and then legal counsel Rosemary Healey.

Now that D’Agostino has retired, Mullen will be leaving later this month and Healey is handling only human resources, Vella-Wilkinson is not appeased.

“I went through the RIDE [Rhode Island Department of Education] site and there is no question they violated policy and there is no question they tried to hide it,” she said. She said what the administrators did was “manipulation of the highest order.”

But while the no-confidence vote has been on the docket, Vella-Wilkinson hasn’t moved it to the floor for a vote. She has her reasons. She said the motion serves as a notice to the school committee and the administration that “we are watching.” There also is an issue that hasn’t been resolved.

While Vella-Wilkinson wants access to the Ragosta report and a briefing on its findings, she said council solicitor John Harrington has raised the question of whether the council has the authority to demand it. The no-confidence vote she sees as a means of forcing the schools’ hand.

Ladouceur said he is in full agreement that heads should roll, but he doesn’t see the no-confidence vote as accomplishing much more than headlines. He’s sickened by what has happened in Warwick schools and says parents, faculty and constituents are “upset with what’s going on.”

“They kind of march to their own beat. They don’t answer to anyone,” he said of the committee and administration.

On Monday, Ladouceur docketed a resolution to subpoena Ahearn and Healey to appear before the council to answer questions about the Ragosta report. He said there has been a cloak of secrecy around school operations for years.

“There’s no answer on what happened to [Peter] Horoschak,” he said, referring to the superintendent who was suddenly told not to report to his job and, about six months later, bought out of his contract.

Ladouceur said he wouldn’t vote for a vote of no confidence.

“To me, it’s not going to do anything,” he said.

At Tuesday’s school committee meeting, Ahearn read a statement regarding the Ragosta report. In part, she said, “While we know that the public is extremely concerned about the findings, we hope that you will all understand that this investigation touches on a multitude of areas that are covered by federal and state laws and regulations related to confidentiality. Therefore, it is impossible for the committee to satisfy all of the public inquiries into what and why. For this we are truly sorry.”

Ahearn went on to say the school administration is in the process of reviewing, revising and updating policies; is talking about professional development for staff and administration; negotiating contract language to “better ensure student safety” and restructuring departments.

In response to critics who suggest she is on a witch-hunt, Vella-Wilkinson has said she would publicly apologize to D’Agostino, Mullen and Healey if the report shows they properly handled the Gorton incident. Now that the report isn’t being made public, she concludes they are culpable – otherwise, they would be on the steps of City Hall demanding an apology.

Likewise, Travis wants to see the Ragosta report. She argues, if anything, “the mayor should have the answers.” She is critical of the lack of communication from schools.

“They just don’t want to tell us anything,” she said. “Everything goes on behind closed doors.”

She volunteered she would have no problem in calling for a vote of no confidence in the school committee.

Comments

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  • JohnStark

    "...the school administration is in the process of reviewing, revising and updating policies" Like what? "Whenever possible, teachers should refrain from drawing penises or feces on student arms."

    "...revising and updating policies" Policies pertaining to what and whom? Don't draw penises or feces on students? Do we really need a policy for such things?

    "...professional development for staff and administration" To teach them what? These are not unintelligent people. Do teachers and administrators really need to participate in development circle jerks in order to understand that they should refrain from certain lewd behaviors? Are these the depths to which we have sunk?

    This has gone on long enough. It's past time for the attorney general to investigate this entire, sorry collection of buffoons.

    Thursday, July 16, 2015 Report this

  • jackiemama63

    They are 'buffoons." "Buffoons" with Taxpayer's money, to spend as they wish.

    Friday, July 17, 2015 Report this

  • Reality

    Let me understand this......we have 4 members of the city council ......Vella-wilkinson, Travis, Usler and Ladoceur calling for a vote of no confidence in the scholl dept. that they have no control over but jobs are filled with no postings, fire dept overtime is out of control and open meeting violations are been issued almost everyday on the city side that they have direct control.

    Let's have a vote of no confidence in Vella-Wilkinson, Travis, Usler and Ladoceur. They need to be replaced on the council.

    Friday, July 17, 2015 Report this

  • jackiemama63

    I get the "willies" every time that bunch shows up at a WSC meeting. Blech.

    Friday, July 17, 2015 Report this