MARBLEHEAD — The School Committee voted unanimously last Thursday night in favor of finding no wrongdoing by Acting Superintendent Michelle Cresta concerning a statement she released last week in support of Israel.
The vote stemmed from an email that the committee received from a parent requesting to open an official complaint against Cresta. In a press release sent out by the committee last Wednesday, the complaint was addressed, and per policy, the committee posted an amended meeting agenda online that included a scheduled executive session to discuss the allegations.
Prior to the meeting on Thursday, Cresta waived her right to the executive session, saying that she believed it “was a matter that we should not be hiding behind closed doors.”
Before the vote, Committee Chair Sarah Fox expressed her support for Cresta.
“I stand with Michelle Cresta in her statement,” Fox said.
Fox said that while there are policies in place that must be followed when a complaint is filed, she believes there has been a “weaponization” of the process involving filing complaints against “members of the school community” since a bullying complaint brought forth by a student was published in its entirety in July.
“It appears individuals are using the published report as a roadmap to punish others they disagree with,” Fox said. “Disagreeing with someone’s words is not the same as being bullied or threatened.”
“The weaponization of these safeguards harms our staff, our students, and our community while simultaneously diminishing the validity of the effects bullying has on its victims,” Fox added.
More than 100 people tuned into the meeting via Zoom, and roughly a dozen more attended in person, many of whom fully supported Cresta.
After the vote, Cresta also stood by her statement and reiterated many of the points she previously made.
“As the acting superintendent and as the mother of two, I stand by my statement. The statement made was to share support for Israel publicly and condemn the horrific actions of Hamas,” Cresta said. “The intent of the statement was to blatantly condemn terrorism and to affirm the support of all individuals to live free from fear from terrorism and violence.”
Cresta also added that it is not the superintendent’s job to express opinions on complex geopolitical issues further but that it is her job to support “our staff, our children, and our school community.”
Cresta continued by reiterating a portion of her statement.
“Our time is better spent trying to create an environment that fosters love and acceptance in our community,” Cresta said.
Committee members Brian Ota, Meagan Taylor, Alison Taylor, and Jenn Schaeffner also expressed their support for Cresta.
“Michelle, I want to thank you for your bravery. Just having to go through this is really challenging, especially in an acting superintendent role,” Meagan Taylor said. “I appreciate the message you sent, and I hope that you feel the support of both this committee and the community.”