Doreen Cunningham no longer works for the Amherst Regional school district, but her leave and exit were glaringly different from the giant severance package former superintendent Michael Morris received, with a statement of no wrongdoing and before any reports were even available. Instead of celebrating a new start with better leadership, many of us are left wondering if Amherst is finally ready to face some difficult truths. The leaders we choose reflect our values, and we have a problem.
Amherst leadership has been unable to hold white men accountable, yet willing to make Black women expendable. Amherst leadership was unable to protect LGBTQIA+ children, but during a recent vote for interim School Committee members, current regional committee and Town Council members were unwilling to prioritize LGBTQIA+ representation to help ensure their safety. Some Amherst leaders were more upset when cars drove through neighborhoods with signs than when vulnerable children were harassed and bullied in school.
Amherst Forward-endorsed candidates have held dominant majorities in powerful elected positions for a long time. Peter Demling, Ben Herrington and Allison McDonald (and one remaining RSC member) were all endorsed by Amherst Forward and were all reliable supporters of Amherst Forward’s issues and agendas.
Forward-endorsed school committee members protected Morris rather than hold him accountable.They refused to hear public concerns about Morris’ leadership and possible return. They led the public to believe they were unwilling to act while waiting for the results of investigations, and then took action to guarantee Morris’ profitable resignation before results were available.
They ignored public comments about inequity in the treatment of Morris and Cunningham, leaving the district vulnerable to a lawsuit from Cunningham and payout to Morris.
And by the time there were investigation results to respond to, they’d abandoned their positions, cast criticism on those of us trying to protect children, failed to take responsibility for their role in the harm to LGBTQIA+ students, and left a giant mess for the remaining and new School Committee members to clean up. If this is the kind of leadership Amherst Forward supports, why would we trust their current endorsements?
For too long Amherst leadership’s strategy has been to cause or allow harm, avoid accountability and resolve issues with big checks in the form of lawsuits and severance packages.
Too many voters have supported the power structures which are failing vulnerable individuals and communities, while claiming progressivism.
Wouldn’t it be better to use our votes to choose new leadership so we can spend our money on things like student programing and teacher salaries?
Ali Wicks-Lim
for the Ad Hoc LGBTQIA+ Caucus
Lamikco Magee
for the ad hoc Black Caucus
Martha Toro
for the Ad Hoc Latinx Caucus