Community Corner
National Group Helps Football Coach Sue After Job Loss | Patch PM
Plus: New dog park effort | Fatal crash victim ID'd | 3 from NY, PA arrested after armed burglary | More
MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, Feb. 22. Here's what you should know this afternoon:
- Dedham's former high school football coach is suing, saying he was fired for exercising his First Amendment rights.
- Boston Calling is the latest large-scale event to have its plug pulled by the pandemic.
- Newton mayor wants the state to keep a closer eye on Boston College amid a coronavirus spike.
Scroll down for those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.
Monday’s Top Story
A former Dedham High School football coach is going on the offensive after losing his job over what a lawsuit says was "exercising his First Amendment rights.”
The right-wing group Judicial Watch is representing David Flynn, who questioned his daughter's history curriculum, which included topics on gender equality, race, stereotypes and diversity along with imagery that included the Black Lives Matter logo.
The lawsuit says Flynn and his wife approached the principal and teacher with their concerns about the curriculum, particularly the visuals of the teacher's animated character wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt. Flynn and his wife felt the concerns weren't addressed, according to the lawsuit and brought things to the School Committee but ultimately chose to remove their children from the Dedham schools.
Nearby News
- Milford Group Makes Case For Town Dog Park
- Mass Pike Exits Closing In Framingham Monday
- Comedy Shows Will Help Feed MetroWest Families
- Worcester Police Forum Collides With New Police Reform Proposal
- 3 Out-Of-State Men Charged After Main South Armed Burglary
Today’s Other Top Stories In Massachusetts
Fatal crash victim ID'd: State police on Monday reported a Bellingham man died after driving off of Route 146 on Sunday afternoon. A second man in the vehicle was taken to UMass Memorial in Worcester with serious injuries.
Boston Canceled: Boston Calling, the music festival that has emerged as one of the most anticipated events kicking off the summer, has been canceled due to the pandemic for the second straight year. Festival organizers said they agreed with city and state authorities that it was still too dangerous to host the weekend concert series. Tickets for 2021 will be honored in 2022.
In loco parentis: Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wants the state to strengthen its oversight of Boston College as the school has experienced a spike in coronavirus cases. "While the number of new cases in Newton are moving in the right direction, we're continuing to see a concerning number of cases at Boston College," said Fuller in a statement. During the two-week period from Jan. 31 to Feb. 13, members of the Boston College community, who live in Newton on and off campus, accounted for about 36 percent of Newton's total number of cases, or 76 of the city's 208 cases, the mayor said.
