Westbrook parents, administrators and school board members come under harsh criticism in a much-anticipated report released Monday by Biddeford-based arbitrator John Alfano.
Alfano, who was hired to investigate the Westbrook School Department’s handling of student discipline in November following an incident of student drinking, also calls for the community as a whole to take a hard look at the student-drinking policy.
Alfano said the policy is “nearly impossible to enforce” due to a clause known as “knowingly present.” He said it also suffers from a lack of support from the school department to enforce the policy, which comes from pressure from parents and others outside the department.
“… There is little support within the school department to enforce the policy because, when it matters, parents, administrators and board members don’t have the fortitude to stand behind their decisions,” Alfano said in the report.
Alfano also detailed the behavior of some parents, including secretly recording an appeal meeting, swearing at administrators and “obscuring the truth.”
“The parents’ behavior diminished any positive effects that the policy may have to teach their children respect, civility, responsibility and consequences for their decisions and behavior,” he said.
The 26-page report outlines Alfano’s investigation, which was conducted between Nov. 25 and Jan. 19, and was drawn from interviews with school administrators, teachers, parents and School Committee members.
In the introduction, Alfano writes, “This report may be disappointing for those of you who want people blamed and those who want complete vindication. Nor is there any conclusive evidence that places blame on individuals or incidents.”
Superintendent of Schools Marc Gousse said Monday that he believes the crux of the report is that administration is not guilty of misconduct, and will now look at ways to possibly change district policy.
“Were there mistakes made? Absolutely,” he said. “We’ll embrace that as an opportunity to look within and get better.”
Alfano’s report resulted from a request by Mayor Colleen Hilton concerning the lifting of suspensions of student athletes after the alleged incident of student drinking. In a letter to the school department in November, Hilton raised questions of whether school officials interfered in the disciplinary process.
After investigating a report of a party involving students that occurred the weekend before Halloween, Westbrook Athletic Director Marc Sawyer suspended roughly two-dozen athletes from their fall sports programs. However, on Nov. 8, Sawyer, along with high school Principal Jon Ross, lifted the suspensions for all the athletes, citing information that skewed their initial decision.
Due to the timing of when the student athletes were reinstated – the same day as a Westbrook High School playoff football game – school administrators were accused of making the decision solely to allow members of the team to compete. However, suspensions were also given, and then lifted, to students participating in soccer and track.
Alfano’s report concludes that the suspensions were lifted as a result of complaints from at least three parents, who charged that Sawyer’s investigation into the party was inconsistent.
“Ross and Sawyer were in disagreement over Sawyer’s decision to permit one of the soccer girls to attend [a] banquet even though she had gone to the party,” Alfano wrote. “Sawyer said that he did so, because she had gone to bring prescription medication to her sister who was attending the party. This decision became the reason (or excuse) for the withdrawal of all the suspensions, which permitted students to play in the football game that night.”
Alfano concluded the report by calling for a series of community forums where “members of the community may come together to express their suggestions for changing the policy (and) methods of enforcing it.” He added that forums “should not be held at school board meetings or by the school board.”
Gousse said Monday that he would like the department and the Westbrook community to focus on the recommendations made by Alfano.
“There are aspects of it (the report) that I don’t necessarily agree with, but I accept it for what it is,” he said. “The (report’s) recommendations are a roadmap to move forward.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
