Natick School Committee Apologizes For Public Speak Policy

NATICK, MA- Two months after a free speech lawsuit was settled against the Natick School Committee, the committee sent a formal apology to the school community regarding their former public speak policy.

In April 2018, former Natick parents Karin Sutter and Corey Spaulding sued the committee, Chairwoman Lisa Tabenkin and then-interim Superintendent Anna Nolin to challenge the public speak policy. Public speak is the portion of School Committee meetings where community members are allowed to address things not listed on the official agenda.

The policy in question stated “improper conduct and remarks will not be allowed. Defamatory or abusive remarks are always out of order.” It also stated the chairman could end all conduct if the remarks continued. The policy also claimed “objective” criticisms are were allowed, but the committee would not hear personal complaints of school personnel or any member of the school community.

A ruling by a judge in November said the public speak policy was unconstitutional and that the defendants, the School Committee, Tabenkin and Nolin, violated free speech rights by attempting to silence Sutter and Spaulding during the public speak portion of School Committee meetings on Jan. 8, Feb. 5 and March 12 of 2018.

At the Jan. 8 meeting Spaulding said during the public speak portion, “I am the mother of a child that was mercilessly bullied into suicide here in Natick.” Tabenkin suspended the meeting shortly after the comment was made.

A settlement in the case was reached in January and a new public speak policy was adopted. Under the new Public Speak policy, the Committee Chair will not be allowed to interrupt speakers except when they exceed their time, engage in speech not protected by the Constitution, or seek to talk about issues outside the School Committee’s jurisdiction.

In an email to the school community on Friday, the School Committee addressed the settlement, formally apologizing to all parties involved. "The Natick Public Schools acknowledge the flaws of the prior policy and apologize to all individuals who were negatively impacted by it, including Ms. Spaulding and Ms. Sutter. Furthermore, as a learning institution, we look forward to employing a policy and procedures that balances and respects individuals’ rights to speak while still protecting the privacy of students and staff," the email reads.

As part of the settlement, Sutter and Spaulding and the ACLU of Massachusetts will hold a public forum to discuss principles of freedom of speech and the lessons to be learned from this litigation.

“We are pleased that this matter is being resolved in a way that teaches our children the values of free speech,” Spaulding said in an ACLU press release. “Although it is a shame that litigation was needed in order to get to this point, I hope that this new policy will be a model for other school committees around the state,” Sutter said.

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Natick Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook! Got a news tip? Email samantha.mercado@patch.com)