December 5, 2023 by Michael Page
Newly released emails show Hingham Public Schools administrators faced building pressure to share information with parents and staff in the days after a substitute teacher was arrested at Hingham Middle School.
The substitute teacher was arrested while teaching in the school on Friday October 25, but it wasn’t until a week later, on Friday November 3, that the incident was publicly addressed by administrators.
The emails were released only after the town faced a public records request, legally requiring the district to share internal communication about the incident. The response to the public records request came just hours before the legal deadline to comply.
The request required the district to release all written and electronic communication about Hingham Middle School substitute teachers, or the substitute arrested, between October 25 and November 4.
Only emails sent after November 2 were released.
In a follow up email, asking for confirmation that there were no other emails involving this case, Superintendent Dr. Margaret Adams says, “we conducted a search for the terms you indicated.”
That means, according to the district, there were no written communications, regarding Hingham Middle School substitute teachers or the teacher arrested (Charlotte Cody), exchanged between the arrest and the first emails received from concerned parents and staff days later.
Any phone calls, or verbal conversations regarding the matter, would not be reported as part of a public records request, making it difficult to piece together how the decision was made to keep the arrest quiet initially.
Regardless, the emails released show the district’s silence on the incident was extremely concerning to staff and parents alike.
On November 2, prior to any public statement being made, a staff member from Hingham Middle School sent a lengthy email to the Superintendent.
The staff member is also the parent of a middle school student.
The message writes, in part, “I believe in the importance of transparency and accountability within our community.”
The email continues, “I feel it would be appropriate to make a statement acknowledging the situation by providing basic information about the arrest, taking accountability for the oversight, and building community trust by letting the parents know what further steps our district is taking to prevent similar incidents.”
That same day, the district received a request for comment on the incident from WCVB-TV.
Neither email received a response, according to the dozens of emails released as part of the public records request.
The next day, following the emails from concerned staff members and a television newsroom, Dr. Adams released the district’s first statement outlining the events of the arrest.
Basic facts about the arrest were quietly released in the Hingham Police log, and widely shared on social media amongst parents, prior to the district’s statement.
The public concern over transparency comes during lengthy, and at times contentious, negotiations with district teachers and staffers.
In the weeks since the public outcry the district has hired an investigator to review the incident, including how the substitute teacher passed district background checks and ended up in a classroom the day police arrested her on a warrant.
“As acknowledged in recent SC meetings and public forums, we recognize the concern this situation has created within our community. We take these concerns seriously and initiated an investigation. This investigation will guide our work to enhance communication, strengthen transparency, while ensuring the safety of our students and staff. We appreciate the community’s patience as together we navigate through this challenging situation,” shared Nes Correnti, Chair of the School Committee provided the following statement in response.
thanks a lot of information keren