Council hearing on BPS misconduct reports follows Wu's upbeat schools address

Mayor Michelle Wu used her second State of the Schools address on Oct. 19 to defend Boston Public Schools against critics. The next day, a City Council committee heard hours of testimony about how the district handles bullying, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.

For families, the two events show different sides of the same district. WBUR reported that Wu pointed to record high school graduation rates and a double-digit drop in chronic absenteeism since 2022. She announced free weekend sports for grades 6 to 12, more Advanced Placement courses, 300 more youth jobs and five new community hub schools. She also responded to an ad campaign calling the district "failing," calling the billboards "cynical," GBH News reported. GBH reported that Wu promised new five-year targets this fall, including one for school safety and culture. Only 31% of third graders met or exceeded expectations on the latest state tests, GBH reported.

What our records show

Docket 0407, an order for a hearing on preventing and responding to bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual misconduct in BPS, was filed Feb. 23 by City Councilor Julia Mejia (at-large), who chairs the Education Committee. It went to her committee Feb. 25. A June 16 hearing was canceled, and the hearing finally took place Oct. 20 (meeting page), almost eight months after the order was filed. The council's record lists 11 councilors as sponsors or co-sponsors.

What was said

Reporting back to the full council Oct. 21, Mejia said there were more than 2,000 cases that had gone underreported, and called that cause for concern (watch at 57:43). She said City Councilors Erin Murphy, Ed Flynn, John FitzGerald and Miniard Culpepper took part, and that students, parents, advocates and district administrators testified.

She summed up what the committee heard (59:17): families described responses to reports that were not consistent, slow investigations and poor communication. Some said they feared retaliation for speaking up. Witnesses called for clearer reporting steps, set timelines for investigations and more mental health staff. She said district officials described restorative justice programs, bullying prevention training, safety planning and family outreach.

Mejia said she wants independent oversight with students and community groups, not task forces chosen by the district. She also asked for a public dashboard of incidents that protects students' identities (1:03:48):

Related hearings

The same committee met Oct. 13 on another of Mejia's orders, on services and spending for English learners (docket 0276; meeting page). Both orders remain in committee.

What's next

Mejia said docket 0407 will stay in committee for working sessions with students, families and community groups (1:05:20). Wu's five-year targets are due later this fall, WBUR reported. Upcoming Education Committee sessions will be listed on the committee page.