Wayland To Investigate Complaints Made About Superintendent Easy

WAYLAND, MA — The Wayland School Committee will hire an independent investigator to look into multiple complaints made against Superintendent Omar Easy stemming from a private meeting of administrators in October.

The matter came to light Thursday at a meeting between the committee, Easy and attorneys. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place behind closed doors, but Easy asked for the meeting to be held in public. The committee was considering a temporary suspension for Easy, but decided that he could stay on the job while the investigation proceeds.

Wayland School Committee Chair Chris Ryan said six to seven complaints were made about Easy's behavior at an Oct. 13 administrative council meeting. The complaints said Easy was "berating," "shaming" and "bullying" people at the meeting. The complaints were made verbally and anonymously directly to Ryan.

"I feel strongly we have a responsibility to ensure these complaints are taken seriously," Ryan said.

During remarks, Easy said the Oct. 13 meeting was mostly about bullying taking place between teachers. Easy said he learned about the complaints at an Oct. 26 closed-session school committee meeting. He asked for the complaints in writing, but was told they were not available in that form.

"I still have not been told who made the allegations, what specifically they claim I allegedly said or other relevant facts that would allow me to defend myself," Easy said.

During Thursday's meeting, a number of Easy supporters — including Wayland METCO Director La Toya Rivers, students and parents — spoke in his favor, asking the school committee not to put him on leave. But several who spoke during public comment complained about decisions Easy has made during his 18 months on the job, and about how he communicates with teachers and administrators. Apart from the complaints about the Oct. 13 meeting, the school committee is also looking into whether Easy failed to finish employee evaluations at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Tulani Husband, the assistant principal at Claypit Hill Elementary, told the committee she was at the Oct. 13 meeting, and didn't feel uncomfortable. Suspending Easy during the investigation could send a bad message to students of color in Wayland, Husband said.

The Wayland School Committee hired Easy in January 2021. Easy was previously an administrator in Everett Public Schools, which is also where he went to high school. Before entering the education field, Easy was a local football star and later played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders before a career-ending knee injury.

"This meeting is about several reports that the superintendent of schools is not managing his senior employees in an appropriate manner, and what the school committee as the supervisory party can and should do about these reports," Vice Chair Ellen Grieco said.

Since Oct. 26, member Erin Gibbons and Ryan searched for and found an outside investigator. The person, who was not named during the meeting, could begin work as soon as next week. If the investigator finds Easy is interfering in the investigation, he could be placed on leave, the committee said.

The vote to keep Easy on the job during the investigation passed with 4 "yes" votes and one abstention.