TURNERS FALLS — Discussion at Thursday’s educational mascot forum became heated as School Committee members responded to concerns and accusations that they had already decided how to vote concerning the mascot issue.
Members of the public were also upset that the board is not holding a referendum.
The event was the final scheduled educational forum on the mascot issue, and covered the perspective of alumni who want to keep the mascot speaking. Ronald LaRoche who graduated in 1947 and Jeff Singleton, who is not an alumni of the school, both spoke.
LaRoche discussed the tradition of the school and the mascot while Singleton said he didn’t like the rhetoric of the side who does not want to keep the mascot, noting specifically that he felt the comparisons to other race-based issues, like the Holocaust or slavery in America, are not appropriate for the debate.
Singleton said he doesn’t subscribe to the idea that if it offends one person, they should get rid of the mascot.
“I don’t like that. I think that gives people a veto power over political discussion,” he said.
He also touched on the what he said was the need for a town referendum, something that became a point of tension later in the night. The School Committee has addressed the idea of a referendum during regular School Committee meetings, but not during forums, which usually include guest speakers. However, most of the questions Thursday were addressed to the board, not the speakers.
The event lasted about an hour, and ended shortly after a back-and-forth between School Committee Chairman Mike Langknecht and Montague Police Chief Charles “Chip” Dodge.
Dodge, who said he was not acting in any official capacity during Thursday night’s meeting, said the School Committee should not be dealing with the issue, and should let the town decide.
“You have an important decision to make and it’s a decision that’s going to affect hundreds of years before today, and probably a hundred years after today,” he said. “You may not see it that way because maybe you don’t feel the way the true Indians do, Turners Indians. We grew up in the school, we played sports, it’s a part of our growing up, it’s a part of our heritage. I think it means more to someone who lived it. I don’t know your backgrounds. I don’t know if you grew up in this town.”
Langknecht and others became frustrated with the idea that the School Committee is not part of the town and the community.
“I just want to make the point that there’s nothing at all unusual or out of the ordinary with the way this decision is being made,” Langknecht said. “All of us are elected by the voters in the town by the residents, and that’s the way the thing is set up.
“I don’t want to get too back and forth, but I’m concerned that (you think) you’re the community and we’re not. And I don’t think you, or anyone else in this room is in a position to make that decision. I’ve paid my dues. I’ve lived here 25 years. I don’t have four generations buried in town, but I have three kids through this system. Don’t tell me I’m not a part of this community. That’s bigoted, prejudiced, rude, irresponsible. It’s not helpful.”
Other members of the School Committee also pushed back against Dodge’s comments.
“I’m not against a referendum because I’m afraid of the will of the people — that’s hardly the reason. I didn’t get elected to be popular,” committee member Marjorie Levenson said, and added that she didn’t think a referendum was a good idea because it excludes a lot of interested parties like students, teachers and parents who live out of the district.
Dodge said he’s seen pictures from anti-mascot groups on Facebook and that several School Committee members are in those groups.
“Has our School Committee already made their mind up?” he asked. “Things are posted on Facebook I think we go too far sometimes. And I think things are said on Facebook that lead the community to believe the decision has already been made.”
Christina Postera and Heather Katsoulis both said they were added to the group, and did not request to join them, but have been monitoring the social media activity on both sides of the debate.
Langknecht said the School Committee has created a process that is transparent and that if the voters don’t like the decision, the board members can be voted out of office.
“That’s politics and that’s totally reasonable,” he said. “But right now this is our job and we’re going to try and do it. I don’t think you’d be very happy with us if every time something difficult came around we punted it off to some referendum. You can’t hold a referendum responsible once these decisions are made. But you can hold us responsible and I certainly expect you to.”
Reach Miranda Davis
at 413-772-0261 ext. 280
or mdavis@recorder.com.