Executive Summary
On October 20, 2026, the Boston City Council Committee on Education held a public hearing on Docket #0407 regarding the Boston Public Schools' (BPS) prevention of and response to bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct. Chaired by Councilor Julia Mejia, the hearing featured powerful testimony from affected parents, youth advocates, and coalition leaders who raised serious concerns over school safety, lack of reporting transparency, systemic cover-ups, and retaliation against families via mandated 51A reports. Representatives from the BPS administration testified on district protocols, Title IX procedures, and the ongoing implementation of restorative justice practices, while councilors pressed district leaders on unreleased incident data, law enforcement coordination, and independent accountability mechanisms. The docket remained in committee with plans for upcoming working sessions.
Opening Remarks and Call to Order on Bullying and Sexual Misconduct in Boston Public Schools (Docket #0407)
- Committee Chair Councilor Julia Mejia called the hearing to order on Docket #0407, an order for a hearing to review the prevention and response to bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct in Boston Public Schools (sponsored by Councilor Mejia and referred to committee on February 25, 2026).
- Councilor Erin Murphy emphasized the urgency of prioritizing students and families, criticizing the district for concealing data and noting her December 2023 17F filing regarding 1,633 substantiated cases of sexual misconduct and bullying where significant percentages of incidents were omitted from reporting.
- Councilor Edward Flynn stated he was deeply troubled by data showing over 2,000 reports of student-on-student sexual misconduct and assault in BPS over a six-year period. Councilor Flynn called for full transparency and the creation of an independent task force comprising parents, teachers, and residents.
- Chair Mejia read into the record a letter of absence from Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune expressing support for transparent protocols, dependable student protections, and accountability for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in schools.
- Chair Mejia delivered opening remarks outlining the climate survey findings showing disconnects between families and school staff, emphasizing the necessity of adopting evidence-based restorative practices and collaborating with community partners such as MASSCOSH, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Sociedad Latina, and the BEJA Coalition.
- Councilor John Fitzgerald offered brief opening remarks noting his perspective as a parent of three BPS students and expressing desire for clear explanations regarding district procedures.
Community Advocates and Impacted Families Panel (Docket #0407)
- A parent testified regarding her nonverbal autistic son who was injured at school by unlicensed staff, advocating for higher qualifications, fair pay for special education caregivers, classroom video surveillance, and parental options for student-worn body cameras with privacy safeguards.
- A parent testified that her daughter was sexually assaulted by a BPS staff member, reporting that the school failed to file a 51A report, failed to notify her, retaliated against her through false 51A reports and trespass notices, and failed to comply with federal FERPA record requests, leaving her child without educational access for two years.
- A parent and family partner testified regarding repeated bus-based sexual misconduct and physical assaults against her eight-year-old daughter, noting a complete lack of qualified bus monitors, safety follow-through, and accountability.
- Leon Smith, Executive Director of Citizens for Juvenile Justice, presented research on long-term trauma from bullying and outlined statutory mandates under M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H¾ (restorative justice and trauma-sensitive models), M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O (bullying reporting and investigations), and M.G.L. c. 71, § 37P(d) (annual reporting of school-based arrests and court referrals). He noted that Boston continually reports zero school-based arrests to DESE and recommended a city ordinance to ensure data reporting.
- Tatiana Sofia Bigault, Executive Director of MASSCOSH, testified on youth mental health data showing 45% of middle schoolers reported bullying and 75% of non-binary students reported bullying/cyberbullying. She urged the district to fully fund social-emotional learning, meet the recommended 1:500 psychologist-to-student ratio (noting current levels near 1:686), and require a 90-day implementation plan.
- Kiel McClay, Executive Director of BEJA (Boston Education Justice Alliance), highlighted institutional failures dating back to the 2016 federal civil rights investigation into Boston Latin School and recent student-on-student investigations at Gardner Pilot Academy, citing disciplinary racial disparities reported between 2013 and 2022 (131 disciplined students: 69 Black, 58 Hispanic, 3 white).
- Councilors Murphy, Flynn, Fitzgerald, and Miniard Culpepper questioned the panelists regarding immediate safety measures, failure of administrative follow-through, the use of federal Dear Colleague guidance to adapt IEPs following bullying incidents, and the immediate need for educational tutoring and safety planning for out-of-school victims.
Boston Public Schools Administration Panel (Docket #0407)
- Chief of Student Support Cory McCarthy, Senior Advisor for Specialized Services Christine Trevisonier, and Deputy Superintendent of Operations Dr. Samuel DePina testified on behalf of Boston Public Schools.
- Chief McCarthy offered an apology to impacted families, outlined the SSS-18 Bullying Prevention and Intervention Circular, and explained the criteria evaluated during formal bullying investigations: power imbalance, repeated behavior, and targeted conduct. McCarthy detailed the multi-year implementation of Restorative Justice Practices and proposed establishing a 60-day family assurance protocol for substantiated incidents.
- Senior Advisor Trevisonier detailed Title IX reporting procedures via
title9@bostonpublicschools.org, explaining safety plans, supportive measures, and ongoing collaboration with special education personnel for students with IEPs. - Deputy Superintendent Dr. DePina outlined concurrent investigative processes among school leaders, Title IX coordinators, the Code of Conduct review, and the Boston Police Department (including the Sexual Assault Unit and Crimes Against Children Unit). He noted the district is updating its Code of Conduct on its three-year cycle.
- Councilor Flynn challenged the administration on its lack of transparency and pressed Dr. DePina on the status of the long-pending Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BPS and the Boston Police Department, which has remained unexecuted for three years.
- Councilor Fitzgerald and Chair Mejia questioned administrators on why cases fall through the cracks, the retaliatory use of 51A child neglect/abuse filings against outspoken parents, the role of independent oversight, and the impact of the loss of grant funding for bullying prevention (decreasing from $34,000 in FY25 to $2,394 in FY26 and FY27).
- In response to inquiries from Councilor Culpepper, Dr. DePina committed to coordinating directly with parent Monica Murchison to explore options for re-enrolling her daughter and addressing necessary educational and trauma supports.
Youth Panel on School Safety, Mental Health, and Digital Bullying (Docket #0407)
- High school and community college students presented testimony regarding their direct experiences with bullying, mental health treatment, and school culture:
- Empress (Bunker Hill Community College alum of BPS) testified on the necessity of comprehensive student nutrition, adequate funding for low-income schools, and the urgent need for dedicated, trained mental health professionals rather than relying strictly on classroom teachers.
- Jen Maileese (Match Charter Public High School) testified regarding the severe psychological toll of bullying and retaliation, noting peer experiences in partial hospitalization programs and the isolation faced by LGBTQ+ and minority youth.
- Emanuelle Martins (Everett High School) highlighted student mental health stigmas, lack of counselor confidentiality, and the need to prevent gossip during administrative investigations.
- Councilors questioned the youth panel regarding anonymous reporting mechanisms, social media and AI-driven cyberbullying, bystander intervention, and school administrator relationships.
- Student panelists recommended establishing an anonymous, 24/7 text- or web-based reporting system, emphasizing that texting provides a safer and more accessible reporting method for youth who fear verbal retaliation or identification.
Public Testimony and Closing Remarks (Docket #0407)
- Public testimony was provided by youth organizers, students, and community members:
- Opurba Fatima, Lead Labor Trainer and Organizer at MASSCOSH, testified on developing peer-to-peer anti-bullying curricula and restorative justice circles funded through the Department of Public Health.
- Supreme, a student at Boston Day and Evening Academy, spoke on the shortage of mental health counselors in low-income schools and the psychological strain on youth.
- Nia Jean-Pierre, representing Teens Lead at Work and Boston Latin School, urged councilors to support preventative mental health programs.
- Chanelle, a recent graduate of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, testified regarding threats of violence she received that were dismissed by school staff with comments of "you know how he is," calling for mandatory mental health education.
- Bria Smith, Youth Program Leader at MASSCOSH Teens Lead at Work, commended the youth advocates and called on school district leadership to center student and parent leadership in restorative framework creation.
- Chair Mejia announced that Docket #0407 will remain in committee for future working sessions aimed at creating a cross-collaborative crisis action team and independent oversight model. The hearing was adjourned.