Ken
O’Brien
The School Committee has appointed John M. Flick of
Gardner to investigate allegations made against Southbridge Superintendent of
Schools Patricia Gardner. He is mandated to present his findings to the
Committee by December 3rd.
While indicating a concession to public opinion, the
action is essentially meaningless.
First and foremost is why the Superintendent was not
put on paid administrative leave as has been the practice in the past.
Certainly the charges preferred against her would seem to warrant such an
action. According to the presentation made by Committee Member Raymond Page the
Superintendent threatened not merely to “get” the complainant. She also
attempted to compel the individual to sign a document implicating a former school
official in acts of misconduct and threatening to destroy documents relating to
last year’s MCAS. In addition, she supposedly made reference to the medical
condition of an employee, indicating that, had she been aware of the condition,
they would not have been hired.
