School superintendent denied contract extension

The school committee refused to renew the contract of Superintendent Tahiliani. She is the first woman of color to lead the Everett public schools. (Photo by Joe Resnek)

By Josh Resnek

Following several hours of passionate public comments, the School Committee voted 6-4 against renewing Superintendent Priya Tahiliani’s contract Monday night.

Tahiliani has led the school system since March 2020.

She received strong support from more than 20 students, residents and teachers, and from a member of the NAACP during the public speaking portion of the meeting.

However, after years of tension between Tahiliani and the mayor, the school committee caved to political pressure.

Tahiliani filed a complaint last year accusing the mayor of “blatant and overt acts of discrimination and retaliation,” as reported in Tuesday morning’s Boston Globe.

She is under contract until March 2024.

She told the Leader Herald she will not be leaving until the end of her contractual tenure.

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Everett Youth Council Speaks Out

As students of Everett Public Schools, we are a part of the multiracial Everett community. It has come to our attention that Everett Councilor Anthony DiPierro made derogatory statements and shared a racist meme. We are deeply upset about these discriminatory actions and disheartened by the complacency of the Everett city government.

While the texts and memes were not meant for the public eye, it still impacted the black community in Everett. These incidents heighten distrust in city government within our community. They elevate our discomfort with public policy leaders and rebuild the barriers between us. Unfortunately, despite DiPierro’s apology, this does alter our perception of him and the city government. This event has indicated that he lacks integrity, a trait that our educators constantly advise us to acquire. Even in private circles, City Councilors should be role models for future generations, and we are very disappointed.

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City sued for discrimination

Former acting EPS superintendent Gauthier claims age, race bias conspiracy prevented her from interviewing

By JOSH RESNEK

Former acting superintendent Janice Gauthier has filed suit in Middlesex Superior Court against the city and the school committee alleging she was overlooked deliberately and eliminated from the competition to ascend to the superintendent’s position because of her age, and because she is a Caucasian.

In the lawsuit, she alleges a conspiracy based on her age and her color – she was 70 when she resigned in disgust in 2019 after not being allowed to interview for the job now held by Superintendent Priya Tahiliani, and for not being allowed to resume employment in her former position, Director of Curriculum.

Gauthier is white.

The new superintendent is a woman of color. She is asking for judgments on a number of items in the lawsuit.

However, no one in a position of responsibility knows how much she is asking for, which is the chief question being asked around the city among those who are discussing the matter.

No one in a position of responsibility in Everett was willing to speak on the record about the lawsuit or its iterations.

Several who spoke to the Leader Herald on the condition of anonymity said that the mayor very likely put Gauthier up to the lawsuit and that the mayor released news of it privately, before Gauthier’s attorney had the chance to make it public.

No one in the mayor’s office would comment on the matter.

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