ORANGE — The state is looking into allegations of staff misconduct at Fisher Hill Elementary School, and while officials are saying little about the situation, Orange School Committee Chairwoman Stephanie Conrod did confirm that the principal is not currently in charge at the school.
According to Superintendent Tari Thomas, no details of the alleged incident are being released, because this is a “highly confidential” personnel matter.
Conrod also declined to give details, but — when asked who is in charge at the school, if not Principal Maureen Donelan — said, “She’s not there, but an administrator is in charge.”
Donelan was unavailable for comment this weekend.
“There’s a lot of moving pieces and we’re making sure everyone is protected – staff, students, school committee, superintendent you name it,” Conrod said. “We’re trying to maintain the integrity of the school district. We’re just trying to follow the process so we can continue to make sure people’s rights are being protected. We understand people are emotional about this, they should be. We’re talking about the wellbeing of children.”
Thomas referred to alleged misconduct at the school without going into detail, in a letter to parents late last week.
“As you may or may not know, there have been recent reports about allegations and instances of staff misconduct at the Fisher Hill School,” Thomas wrote. “The district is investigating the allegations, and has reported these allegations to the appropriate state agencies. Said state agencies are also conducting their own investigation into the matter. Since this is a personnel issue, any and all details are confidential at this time.”
At least one agency, the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families, has confirmed it is investigating a situation at Fisher Hill. The agency’s mission is to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.
Spokeswoman Andrea Grossman said that state confidentiality laws prevent the agency from releasing specific details about a reported incident or investigation, but responded with the following in an email after the Recorder provided her with the uncorroborated reports that are circulating in town.
“The Department of Children and Families received a report on this situation and we are investigating,” the email reads. “Due to state and federal confidentiality laws, there is no further information.”
In an email response to the Recorder’s inquiry on the allegations, Thomas said, “Your statements surprise me as personnel matters are highly confidential and at no time has any information been shared with any town officials.”
The Recorder does not report unconfirmed information from unnamed sources, so for now, at least, what happened and who may be involved is murky at best.
In her letter to parents, Thomas spoke extensively about the district’s commitment to keeping children safe but did not offer any details about the probe or what triggered it. She talked about concern over “children at risk” but declined to elaborate when asked by reporters.
“… nothing is more important to me, and to everyone at Fisher Hill School, than protecting the health and well-being of our students,” she said. “The unique educational experience of our school only happens if our students are safe. As the superintendent of schools who is entrusted with caring for other people’s children, and as a parent of three children myself (albeit all grown now), I can promise you that the physical and emotional safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of my mind.”
Thomas also called Fisher Hill a “special place” with a “deep and deliberate commitment to building an environment that promotes respect for self and others, thoughtful decision-making, and accountability for actions,” and said any reports of educator misconduct will be taken seriously.
“The Orange Public Schools wishes to make it clear, however, that the well-being and safety of all of our students is a top priority of the district. We have no tolerance for behavior that places children at risk. We take these matters seriously and have high expectations of all employees,” she wrote. “In addition to having clearly communicated policies and procedures addressing expectations, all faculty and staff participate in regular in-service training related to topics such as reporting obligations, harassment, sexual harassment and misconduct, bullying, boundary setting,confidentiality, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and how and where to report any inappropriate, unacceptable or illegal behavior.
“I want to make it clear to you that we take very seriously any reports of educator misconduct,” she continued. “To serve our students and families, we must be willing to confront any situation with courage, compassion, and transparency.”
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.