Parents voice concerns on lack of transparency at Pittsfield Public Schools

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Parents frustrated with lack of transparency from school committee

This comes after recent scandals across Pittsfield Public Schools.

Pittsfield School Committee held a meeting Wednesday night where parents voiced their concerns.

Parents at the meeting were frustrated with the lack of communication from the school district over recent investigations into misconduct at the schools.

The Massachusetts Public Records Division has ordered Pittsfield Public Schools to release a redacted version of the investigative report, which had been withheld following the 2023 arrest of former Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins on federal drug charges.

“There’s so much drama and mistrust in the school district right now. You know, there’s things that they come home and say, I just feel like totally inappropriate that they would know. And some of it is coming from teachers,” said one parent.

Another parent worries that some of the things she’s hearing from her child crosses the line.

“I don’t want any teacher student relationships. I don’t want I’m just saying explicit photos of the principal going around in my son’s email, I don’t want drugs in the school.  I’m not asking for too much,” said another parent.

The school committee said Wednesday night they can’t release the findings from the investigation yet because of privacy concerns.

Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti tells NewsChannel 13 he wants to have transparency with parents.

“I made the motion to refer the report to the supervisor, records of the Secretary of State and say, here it is. You tell us what should be crossed out and what should be left, because I think at this stage of the game, no matter what we’re saying or who we’re saying it to, people are having less faith in what we’re doing,” said Mayor Marchetti.