“Just the appearance alone raises concerns that these cases have targeted Black and Brown female and male employees who were identified as threatening,” the retired administrators wrote. “These cases seem to be orchestrated and intentional, primarily to deliver a message of fear and intimidation, a message that you will be discredited and destroyed if you speak out against racist and ineffective policies and practices.”
The former administrators didn’t identify specific individuals in their letter, but said several district leaders of color have recently been subjected to investigatory meetings and placed on administrative leave pending the final outcome of the hearings. They also added that two employees of color “have resigned rather than go through this humiliating process.”
One of the former administrators said in an interview that she knew of at least five cases of district leaders of color who were recently subjected to the process.
In a statement, Skipper emphasized she takes the concerns seriously.
“We have zero-tolerance for discrimination at Boston Public Schools,” she said. “Even still, the reality is that institutional racism exists and has had an extremely negative impact on our community for many generations. That’s why we are committed to identifying where it exists and dismantling the systems and structures that perpetuate it.”
Investigatory meetings are used broadly across BPS by the central offices and principals in its approximately 120 schools to vet potential infractions. BPS doesn’t formally track the meetings and consequently, the district was unable to provide the Globe with any data on the number of meetings held in recent years, a racial breakdown of those subjected to them, and what the outcome was for each one.
Under the district’s employee discipline policy, investigatory meetings are described as an “informal” proceeding to provide an employee with the opportunity to respond to allegations, and they can have legal counsel present. However, the proceedings can be high-stakes: Information from the meetings can be used to determine any discipline. Employees can appeal discipline at a formal hearing, according to the policy.
If allegations are serious enough in nature, an employee can be placed on paid administrative leave immediately before an investigatory meeting is held.
The policy emphasizes that enforcement of rules and regulations should be applied consistently, noting for example if there is a grace period for employees arriving late to work it should be applied to all employees. But the policy also says administrators can exercise their own discretion in assessing discipline on a case-by-case basis.
“The administrator may consider the past record in determining the degree and severity of the discipline to be imposed on an employee found guilty of the immediate offense,” the policy says. “In such instances, an employee may merit a harsher discipline for a seemingly minor infraction where the employee has been given warnings numerous times in the past for similar offenses.”
The letter and the investigation come as many BPS employees have questioned the district’s commitment to eliminating racism within the organization, particularly as it pertains to students. For instance, state data has indicated for years that the district disproportionately punishes students of color and disproportionately segregates students of color with disabilities from their peers.
The district earned low marks last year among more than 500 central office staffers who took a workplace survey when asked whether “BPS is structured and organized to be an anti-racist organization” and whether they felt empowered to enact anti-racist leadership.
Since then, two cases in particular have put employees on edge about potential consequences they might face if they voice concerns about policies or practices they perceive as racially biased, unfair, or not in students’ best…
Read More: Boston Public Schools launches investigation into allegations of discrimination