Parents Accuse Andover School Committee Of Curbing Speech

ANDOVER, MA -- Before last week's Andover School Committee meeting, resident Betsy Streeter received a phone call and email from newly-appointed Chair Shannon Scully. Streeter said both were attempts to dissuade her from speaking at the meeting about "personnel issues." Streeter is among a group of parents who have been critical of the committee and called for the firing of Superintendent Sheldon Berman in the wake of an accidental release of a draft, confidential memo about high school boys volleyball coach and elementary school teacher E.J. Perry.

"It seems to me...the School Committee has been trying to shut down public discourse," Streeter said at the May 10 meeting, referring to a meeting last month in which police were asked to escort one speaker from the room.

Scully forwarded a copy of the email she sent to Streeter to Patch. In it, she said, "I understand you have concerns about Dr. Berman’s employment and role as Andover Superintendent. As I believe you’re aware, the School Committee cannot entertain personnel complaints in open meeting. However, I’m eager to have a productive conversation and would welcome an opportunity to meet and hear your concerns directly. Do you have time to get together, perhaps over coffee?"

Streeter, however, said she felt the time and place for the conversation was in an open and public meeting.

"I don't think that meeting privately for coffee with one or two School Committee members gives this very important issue...the same voice," Streeter said. "We have the press, we have a live video feed, and other people in attendance to watch."

Berman has apologized for releasing the memo that was written by Andover High School Principal Philip Conrad but has declined comment on the push by a group of parents who want the school committee to fire him if he does not voluntarily resign.

Last month Perry was placed on administrative leave based on what Andover High School Athletic Director Bill Martin called "credible enough" allegations into his coaching practices. The investigation followed an April 11 match in which senior Alex Shih refused to leave the court after Perry tried to substitute Matt Guthrie for him. After the match Perry stripped both players of their captaincy.

Perry was reinstated after an investigation, but Berman released a draft memo to a newspaper reporter. Despite the investigation concluding otherwise, the memo said Perry had used racial stereotypes and demeaning comments about student athletes.

"The release is a violation of the coach's rights as an employee under Massachusetts state law," Krystal Solimine said at last week's meeting. "This gross negligence could cost the town untold liabilities. It calls for the immediate dismissal of the person who is responsible."

The committee has tentatively scheduled a June 19 workshop to review district policies for athletes and coaches, but some committee members worried that the "movement" by parents calling for Berman's dismissal would have a chilling effect on student athletes who wanted to report legitimate transgressions by their coaches.

"If this movement means reporting or investigating credible allegations of improper conduct is disrespectful, that in my view is dangerous and irresponsible," committee member Tracey Spruce said. "This district cannot...turn a blind eye to credible allegations no matter who is the subject."

The district has not released complete details of the investigation, but Perry's reinstatement and last week's decision by a New Hampshire school to hire him as boys basketball coach suggest the allegations against him were anything but credible. Shih boasted about the incident on social media after the April 11 match. Later, evidence emerged that some players had undertaken an effort to oust Perry in a plan they called "Operation Hydra," in reference to a Marvel Comics plot line in which a company infiltrates an organization in an attempt to ruin a person's reputation.

Coach Perry's brother and attorney Timothy Perry said last week that "there was not a scintilla of credibility" to the allegations uncovered in the investigation.

"It is unclear why the principal started the draft of that memo or from where he concocted the irresponsible information reported in that memo, as he was never involved in this investigation," Perry wrote in a letter to the Eagle Tribune and the Andover Townsman. "However, I do know that everyone involved — from the superintendent on down — admits that the memo was a draft and the document you have printed and reported on is not in E.J.'s personnel file."

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Patch file photo of Sheldon Berman.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).