LYNNFIELD, Mass. — While the Lynnfield School District has publicly denounced racism and bullying incidents, sending out notices to families and even calling in extra help from the outside through an organization called ‘A Healthy Lynnfield,’ parents say the bullying hasn’t stopped.
Several parents have reported the disturbing incidents to Boston 25 News.
After hearing Carl Allien speak before the school committee week after week, Boston 25 asked him to do an interview about what his 12-year-old son has been experiencing at school.
“Within a week, three incidents of him being called a monkey, go back to Africa. Incidents of him being told he’s a slave, obey your master, whipping gestures being towards him,” he said.
Allien says all he wants to do is make sure his son and others feel safe in school.
“We trusted that the school was taking care of things behind the scenes, but then you realize your eyes wake up and you see that they are not doing anything, you have to go to the next, and the next, and the next. I think that anyone would put themselves in front of their child to shield their child from the pain they are receiving,” he said.
Allien says these incidents began happening back in 2024. That is when he says he started speaking with the school’s principal, then the superintendent, and finally went before the school committee.
“It’s just been to a point where what do you do? We got pushed to this,” he explained.
From there, Allien submitted a public records request for the investigation reports into each incident.
Allien showed Boston 25 two invoices totaling nearly $13,000.
“We were shocked because all we want is the investigation reports,” he said.
When he appealed the balance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Supervisor of Records, the state responded with its review.
In that review of the invoices, the state concluded the district needed to revisit how it got to this balance: “For the reasons discussed above, I find the District must revise its fee estimate or provide further explanation of how the fees assessed are consistent with G. L. c. 66, § 10(d).”
Responding to our request for more information or a statement regarding the high balance, the superintendent said, “The district’s original assessment was based on the very broad nature of the original public records request and the time required to comply. Since the initial response, the requester has been provided with additional records through the student record request process at no cost,” Superintendent Thomas Geary wrote.
During a school committee meeting on May 5th, the superintendent told Allien the investigation reports weren’t readily available.
Allien then forwarded the request to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. DESE was then able to deliver a packet from the district, but Allien says the investigation reports were still missing.
“I just know there are no investigations in those packets,” he explained.
As of Friday, the superintendent sent out a new letter to the Lynnfield School Community that included a list of actions being implemented at the middle school, including ways to report and track incidents and harsher consequences for those responsible.
“In recent weeks, the district has experienced additional incidents involving racist language. This language and behavior have no place in our schools and stand in direct opposition to the values we hold as a district and community. We condemn these acts of racism firmly and unequivocally,” Superintendent Geary wrote.
Though he’s relieved to see actions being taken, Allien is both disappointed and frustrated that it’s taken so long.
“I think we just need to get to the point where parents are having conversations with students, and also they know that when there’s an incident like this that happens, and your child is involved, you have to accept the consequences that there could be high levels of disciplinary actions,” he said.
“It didn’t have to go this far, but when we ask for help, nothing is done. You have to get it from the beginning and fast if you call it urgent, treat it urgent, if it were a cell phone policy, a dress code policy, those things would have been addressed so quickly, but racism got delayed, delayed, delayed,” he added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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