Boston Latin Headmaster Selected, Makes History

BOSTON - It took 382 years, allegations of racially charged incidents that made national news, and a Civil Rights Act violation, but the nation's first public school finally has a "person of color" in charge.

Rachel Skerritt has agreed to become to Boston Latin's 28th headmaster. She is a former Boston Public Schools chief of staff, Latin teacher, and Latin '95 grad.

Skerritt is the first person of color and third woman to lead the school, a BPS statement announcing the hire said. The school started in 1635.

Skerritt, from Dorchester, is currently the deputy chief of leadership development for the District of Columbia Public Schools. She replaces interim headmaster Michael Contompasis, who took over last June - and was her headmaster in the seventh grade.

"I am incredibly excited to serve as headmaster of my alma mater, an institution that has shaped me as a learner and a leader," said Skerritt in a Boston Public Schools statement announcing the decision.

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It's been a rough go of late for Latin. Headmaster Lynne Mooney Teta resigned in June amidst mounting pressure following allegations of rampant racism at the school. Assistant headmaster Malcolm Flynn resigned the following day, with some parting shots for BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang.

In January 2016, Two of the school's black students complained of discriminatory comments in a series of YouTube videos, giving birth to the #BlackAtBLS hashtag.

Controversy resurfaced in March of that year, when a Boston Public Schools investigation into a lynching comment made by one student to another was deemed to have been mishandled, prompting the U.S. Attorney's office to investigate.

The U.S. Attorney's investigation found one Civil Rights Act violation and identified other "concerning" cases. The violation involved BLS’s mishandling of its review of allegations that a male student addressed a female black student during class using profanity and a racial slur and threatened to lynch her with an electrical cord, the USAO's office said.

In addition to the race scandals, the school was also at the center of an investigation by DigBoston into the handling of a special education student who provided information to BLS administrators regarding the alleged distribution of pornographic videos among students.

Latin is often regarded as the best public school in Massachusetts and one of the country's finest.

In the BPS statement, Chang said her experiences have led her to this point.

"Rachel's life and professional experiences are tailor-made to lead Boston Latin School into its next chapter of excellence and equity for all," Chang said. "She is a champion of providing rigor and opportunities for every single student in her care, and she is someone who will not compromise when it comes to the education of young people."

Mayor Martin Walsh agreed.

"We would be hard pressed to find another educator better suited to lead Boston Latin School than Rachel Skerritt," Walsh said. "Rachel's passion for her alma mater, her deep familiarity with its traditions, and her commitment to equity make her uniquely qualified for this role."

Reporting from Alison Bauter and Nate Boroyan was used in this report

Courtesy photo