WINSTED — At a forum in Winsted on school bullying, interim Superintendent Freeman Burr did his best to reassure parents that "Pearson School is safe."
"I walk this school every day, and I see students engaged in learning," Burr said at the forum. "Pearson is safe. If you have concerns, please meet with me."
But some parents say they're disappointed with the school district's handling of recent incidents at the school, which serves students in grades 3 to 6, and want more transparency from the district.
Parent Tom Provitz was among them. "We are not here to attack anyone," he said just before the start of the forum. "We respect the teachers, and we're not blaming the school. I blame the laws in Connecticut."
More than 100 parents and residents filled the auditorium at the Pearson School on Tuesday, Sept. 17 after a bullying incident at the school during the week of Sept. 10 and a false allegation that a gun had been brought to the school a few days later. To reassure parents, the district had a police officer posted at the school this week.
During the forum, Burr and Cassandra Murphy, the Winsted school district's director of student support services, offered a presentation on the definitions and policies on bullying, suspensions and expulsions; its legal responsibilities and limitations; and activities and learning programs that discourage bullying and teach inclusive behavior. Burr invited parents to sign up for one-on-one meetings with him if they had questions or concerns, but he did not answer questions or invite public comments during the forum.
Burr's last day as interim superintendent is Friday, Sept 20. The district recently announced that Julie Luby, a school administrator from Newtown, was hired to fill the role left by former superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley, who left to become superintendent of the Region 1 school district in July. Burr also served the Winsted school district as its state-appointed receiver from 2016 to 2017.
Forum presentation
In the days after the incidents, "a lot of social media has talked about what's happened," he said. "Tonight we will talk about bullying, student discipline and social-emotional learning."
Burr explained that when a bullying situation is reported, the principal, faculty and staff assess the situation to determine whether there is an immediate danger. The child or children involved are notified and reports are generated, following state protocols that protect the student's identity, he said.
"Bullying is defined as any written, oral or online (speech) repeatedly directed at another student or students," Burr said. "If it's putting students in a hostile environment, with intimidation or harassment, or cyber-bullying, which can happen in or outside the school, we are obligated to investigate. If it's causing a hostile environment, it will be investigated."
A single act "may or may not constitute bullying, but it will be investigated," he said. "All information of the incident, or incidents, are put in that report. A threat assessment is done, and we are required by law to file all reports and notify the student or students' parents."
But they do not notify the entire school, Burr said. "We would never send a general notice out to the community, unless it's considered a larger threat," he said, referring to the recent false report of a gun. "It was unsubstantiated. ... That information is never released to the community."
State laws determine whether a student should be removed from the school, and only an administrator can suspend a student, not a principal, he said.
When the district is considering expelling a student, Burr said, the parents can hire a attorney and participate in hearings on the matter. But only the Board of Education can expel a student, he said. "There would be many interventions before this happens," Burr said.
"If a student's conduct violates school policies, they receive in-school suspension, unless they pose such a threat to the school that the process of education is being disrupted," he said.
After the threat, which allegedly involved a student showing around a "death list" of names, parents took to Facebook to discuss the issue and called for the student's expulsion, as well as for more public information. Some parents organized a petition on change.org, calling for the school district to remove Pearson School principal Barbara Silverio, calling her "ineffective."
Burr did not acknowledge the petition during the forum.
Parent reaction
Parents Kyle and Cheyenne Blanchette, who have three children at Pearson, say they were horrified by the recent incidents.
"We moved out of town three years ago to get away from the bullying (at the former Batcheller School), and when we heard there was a new superintendent, this year we came back," said Kyle Blanchette, who attended the forum.
The Blanchettes said they don't know whether they will keep their children in the Winsted schools based on the response from the school district.
"Parents have been talking to each other and sharing their experiences, and we're all starting to realize that the bullying keeps happening," he said. "We're told something will be done, and it just continues. Now it's become clear that the school isn't looking for any parental input, they're just saying this is what we're doing, that's it."
Blanchette said he had met with Burr and "we had a nice conversation."
"But he said his responsibilities lie with the teachers and the town, to prevent lawsuits," he said. "We want transparency; we're not getting anything."
Sep 19, 2024
Emily M. Olson
Reporter
Emily M. Olson is staff reporter for the Torrington Register Citizen and the Litchfield County Times, both part of Hearst Connecticut Media Group. She is a 1997 graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a degree in English and a minor in journalism. She started as a reporter for the Patent Trader newspaper in Westchester County, New York, in 1998. After a brief period at The Register Citizen in 1999, she joined the former Housatonic Publications group as a reporter.
She was managing editor of the former Litchfield Enquirer and helped run the weekly newspapers at Housatonic and the Litchfield County Times. She returned to The Register Citizen in 2009, where she served as a managing editor and a community editor for towns in the northwest corner. As a reporter, she covers Torrington, Winsted and other nearby towns in Litchfield County.
Emily lives in New Milford. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, taking walks and spending time with her friends, family and her dog, Lucy, and cat, Natalie.