Dr. Omar Easy seeks $5 million; alleges hostile racial environment

Suing town of Wayland for racial hostility

By Leader Herald Staff

One of Everett’s most successful athletes and educators, Dr. Omar Easy, is suing the Wayland Public Schools for allegedly fostering a racially hostile environment that made it impossible for him to perform his duties, legal filings show.

Dr. Omar Easy (above) is suing Wayland.

Easy, the former superintendent who was ousted, is suing the town, a former School Committee chair, and a current committee member.

Easy is a former NFL player who grew up here and who worked for the Everett Public Schools before moving on to the superintendency in Wayland.

He filed suit last Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court against the town, former School Committee Chair Christopher Ryan, and committee member Ellen Grieco.

The Boston Globe reported last August that Easy, the first Black person to ever lead the Wayland schools, would continue to be paid until his contract expires at the end of June 2024.

Easy is seeking $5 million in damages, including $1 million in “reasonably anticipated lost wages,” according to court papers, which asserted that Easy hasn’t found a comparable superintendent’s position.

In this respect, he is expressing what former Everett Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani is asking for and alleging in her Federal lawsuit against the mayor and the Everett School Committee.

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The racism probe

There is a great deal of talk about the US Attorney’s Office, Justice Department probe into racism and discrimination in the city of Everett.

Many Everett city employees and officials have apparently been questioned by Justice Department Civil Rights lawyers in the probe, which appears to be ongoing.

The recent resignation of US Attorney Rachael Rollins was thought to have ended the probe, according to those who believe nothing is going to come of the probe.

However, there are others who believe the acting US Attorney Joshua Levy is now overseeing the probe and its apparent continuance, and maybe even its acceleration.

There has been no public comment from the Justice Department or the US Attorney’s office about the status of the probe.

However, the city’s attorneys, Greenberg Traurig, continue their representation for the city by supporting every effort to keep the probe just that, a probe.

So far, the city has been responsible for at least $850,000 in legal fees generated by the international law firm.

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Racism probe continues; billing continues; when does it stop?

By Josh Resnek

The city is right now into the federal probe into racism and discrimination here in the amount of $850,000.

Without an add up and a public accounting of the billings to date, it is impossible to know how much more in legal hours billed the city owes to Greenberg Traurig.

The resignation of US Attorney Rachel Rollins is not expected to sink the probe nor is it expected to accelerate the probe.

Exactly what happens now in Rollins’ absence is what will ultimately matter to Everett and to whomever the Justice Department civil rights team of lawyers working on this case are looking at – if anyone.

The new acting US Attorney Joshua Levy is now the man in charge. He has been named the acting US Attorney replacing Rollins who has gone into a rather disgraceful sunset.

Levy has been both a prosecutor and a plaintiff’s attorney over a three decade career.

He was a lawyer for the noted Boston law firm Ropes and Gray.

He had been working for Rollins for almost 2 years.

A report in Monday’s Boston Globe described Levy as “empathic.”

A nearly complete media blackout continues as this probe expands of contracts.

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Mayor Carlo DerMaria sued in federal court by school superintendent Tahiliani

Everett High School students rally for Priya Tahilianiin front of Everett City Hall two weeks ago.(Photo by Joe Resnek)

Allegations of racism, sexism, retaliation

By Leader Staff

A breaking Boston Globe story Tuesday morning revealed that Superintendent of Schools Priya Tahiliani has filed a law suit in Federal District Court accusing the mayor and several school committee members of racism and discrimination after they voted two weeks ago not to renew her contract.

Her contract expires in 2024.

Tahliani and Kim Tsai, a deputy superintendent, accused the mayor and the School Committee of “blatant and overt acts of discrimination and retaliation” because they are women of color, because Tahiliani hired administrators who are non-white, and because the two administrators were participating in a Department of Justice inquiry into Everett’s discriminatory practices, the Boston Globe reported.

The Globe reported that once Tahiliani and Tsai began participating in the federal probe, the lawsuit alleges, DeMaria had secret cameras installed in the superintendent’s office.

“The FBI removed those and is currently investigating that unlawful wiretapping activity,” according to the lawsuit, as reported in the Globe.

The lawsuit in federal district court is a successor to similar complaints Tahiliani and Tsai previously filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The lawsuit asks for an undetermined amount in damages and for the defendants to be ordered to cease and desist, the Globe reported.

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