Greater Lowell Tech School Committee Chairman Victor Olson has NOT held any meeting of the board nor emailed his fellow Committee members to inform them of ANY Investigation into the harassment charges leveled at Committeeman Erik Gitschier and Mr. Gitschier has NOT been contacted by anyone from the schools HR dept or Law firm to answer any questions about these allegations.
It has been over a month since Supt. Santoro at a School Committee meeting on October 11th, said she felt as though she was being harassed and discriminated against because she is a woman by School Committee member Erik Gitschier.
In an October 23rd article in the Lowell Sun Chairman Victor Olson stated the school’s attorneys and Human Resources Department will jointly conduct a fact-finding investigation.
Two School Committee members I communicated with yesterday informed me that neither had received any notification of an investigation and on City Life Committeeman George O’Hare sounded like he was surprised and critical of Fred Bahou’s motion on tonight’s agenda stating after a month with nothing happening why bring it up?
In addition Erik Gitschier confirmed to me yesterday that while he did receive an email from the chair stating these charges would be investigated, no one from the schools Hr dept. or law firm has contacted him about these allegations.
He did ask that if an investigation take place it be conducted by an independent third party.
Mr. Gitschier added the reason he has not asked the full committee for an outside their party is “because I believe that would require a committee vote. I believe that would be a violation of the open meeting law if I sent a letter. I did send an email to the Chairman asking for an outside third party investigation.”
Can the Chairman conduct an investigation on his own? Is it fair to ask the schools Law firm whom Erik questioned about their billing and hourly rate increase to conduct this investigation?
Fred Bahou deserve props for making the motion and the entire School Committee needs to wake up and take this matter serious.
The Superintendent has made charges that affect ALL MALE members and could have lasting effects on Mr. Gitschiers personal and professional life and this needs to be investigated 100% without any involvement of any party or group that could be seen as being partial to one side or another.
It has been noted to be by ‘outsiders” that these allegations came at Mr. Lenzi’s last meeting shortly after a mystery person sent out copies of his License and registration showing his Cape Cod address.
Are these allegations the latest in a series of political infighting and highlights the great divide that exist at that school.
With rumors circulating of Asst. Supt. / Principal Dave Lussier retiring at years end and the Supt. contract expiring the Committee as a whole needs to address this matter and resolve it before they find themselves unable to act on rehiring or hiring the Supt. and Asst. Supt. due to ongoing legal matters.
The Superintendent has drawn a line and now either Mr. Gitschier must be cleared or found in the wrong or Supt. Santoro must be removed for gross insubordination.
Right now all that we see is the Chairman’s ineptness in dealing with these charges.
Anything other than an outside independent investigation into Ms Santoro’s allegations cannot be taken seriously. There can be no credibilty from people that work for and/or can seen to be influenced by Ms Santoro.
Mr Olsen’s inaction could be seen to be siding with Ms Santoro, without any regard for the truth being brought out, thus costing him credibilty as well.
Mary Jo has got to GO!
I just watched Fred Bahou’s effort to get to the bottom of the Sup’t “allegations” get run over by the General Counsel’s advice to not “exacerbate” the situation. There were touches of “Trust us. The check is in the mail” and “The Sup’t calls ALL the plays or we we might get sued WORSE.”
The General Counsel’s sensibility has seemingly empowered the Sup’t who was by any measure rather “snitty” with several lines of questions, from various committee members that dared to peer under the hood of Santoro’s vehicle to a cozy retirement.
With a battery raised eyebrows and sneers, Santoro made it clear that it was them against her, just enough to help her most ceratinly pending harassment case.
Santoro’s contract will run out on June 30, 2013. If anyone remembers the process around Dr.Chris Scott, they’ll know the time to begin the trek towards inking a contract with a Sup’t begins, … right about now.
So, is it any surprise that Mary Jo opted to read an allegation aimed at the most earnest agent of change, Erik Gitschier, from a scrap of paper at the prior meeting? Now, she holds all the cards. The “gender harassment”card cannot be put back in the deck. And why should she even consider it? She has every one of her direct supervisors walking on egg shells.
If you want to get a sense of Mary Jo Santoro, watch The Fighter again. Remember the 3 sisters on the porch? Slap a pant suit on any one of them.
No wonder the GLTHS’s all male board has tucked … tail. She has got them by the short hairs. She knows it. They know it.
And whoever helped Santoro scribble the words she unleashed at Gitschier, and the entire GLTHS committee, knew it way ahaed of the curve.
This battle will be EPIC! Even by Lowell politics depraved standards.
Maryjo Santoro is undoubtedly one of the most unprofessional people I have ever watched. She addresses her bosses by their first names, ( they address her by Ms. Santoro) ; she shows no respect for herself much less anyone else. Mr. Long, the Legal Consultant, also leaves a lot to be desired. I believe he is working for her and not the Committee. This is an issue that is not going to o away and should be addressed as soon as possible. If the charges are true, produce the evidence, if not Get out!
Mary Jo has got to GO!
“I can understand it’s very sensitive and unfortunately, someone got implicated in a public meeting and there are ways to go ahead and formalize a complaint, which would be a lot simpler than making statements in a public meeting,” said Bahou.
“Respectfully, Mr. Bahou, public comment about the process or about the manner in which complaints were raised will only complicate the matter and as I mentioned earlier may in some corners be considered retaliatory and in some corners may be considered to exacerbate the situation, both of which could increase the committee’s potential for liability,” said Long.
This is a stalemate, with Mary Jo Santoro in the drivers seat.
The “educrats” are calling the shots. Why even bother having elections?
Just another “Amateur Hour Administration” created, complete mess.
As some say, before you judge me, walk a mile in my shoes. Who knows what has happenned. How can you judge her without knowing all the facts? The school seems to be doing fine except for a few unhappy people. In a building that big (250+ employees) you are bound to find a few who disagree with what the boss is doing. The important thing is that the students are excelling in their classes and preparing for their future.
What was it the Pete Townsend said, Jim? “Meet the new boss! Same as the old boss!”
“Superintendent James Cassin recently received an exceptional performance evaluation from the School Committee, yet there are ongoing issues of teachers working without certification, different standards enforced for different employees, bloated salaries and continuing allegations of nepotism and cronyism.”
Buckle up Jim, because Kansas is going bye-bye. (h/t Cypher)
Mary Jo has got to GO!
You know Jack, there are a lot of times I disagree with you – but I am totally with you on this one. Jim up there is either one of Ms Santoros’s “friends” ,or else he hasn’t got a clue. It is more than “a few” staff members who are unhappy. It’s at least half the school. The sane issues that were there with Cassin are even worse with Santoro. She is going after Gitschier because he dared to challenge her. I predict the same thing will happen again if anyone pushed her buttons the wrong way. She does not take criticism well.
And that quote comes from where??
Jim, that quote comes from a Jan. 7, 2010 Editorial from The Lowell Sun. I linked to a LiL Blog which originally cited it. Unfortunately, the Blog of Record doesn’t maintain active links to their content after a brief time.
Here is more of the editorial. I’d print the whole thing, but there is “blogger ettiquette” based on Fair Use laws.
Cassin ‘s kingdom
The more The Sun shines a light on the inner workings of the Greater Lowell Technical High School, the more concerns we have with its operations.
Superintendent James Cassin recently received an exceptional performance evaluation from the School Committee, yet there are ongoing issues of teachers working without certification, different standards enforced for different employees, bloated salaries and continuing allegations of nepotism and cronyism.
Cassin typically doesn’t even deign to comment on these very legitimate concerns. Instead, he has a spokesman respond to media queries.
It certainly seems the school has been allowed to operate under the radar for far too long. The usual financial watchdogs — School Committee members and senior administrative staff — have either fallen asleep at the switch or are part of the problem.
There is simply no acceptable excuse for the lack of fiscal restraint and questionable hiring that has been permitted to occur at the school.
-snip
In November, Lowell voters showed their outrage regarding the school’s conflicts, including Cassin ‘s inflated salary, by electing the one challenger vying for a seat on the School Committee.
Now the entire board must take action to make certain Greater Lowell Tech’s operations and finances are both transparent and ethical. Students, staff and taxpayers deserve no less. (bold mine)
It’s interesting to note that voters have been purging the complicit committee members. Bahou, Gitschier and Tatseous are in. If we can persuade Paul Morin (Dracut) and Ray Boutin (Lowell) that, as Gerry puts it, “The place needs an enema!,” then we will be on our way to better days.
People should call or write committee members. Their contact info is here.
It would help a lot, if The Sun helped finish what they started.
Jim you’ve got to really get a clue. Two Hundred and Fifty employees took part in the TellMass survey and the final outcome was scathing. The open ended survey Chairman Lenzi requested and received last spring was equally as damning. This is a serious building wide poor morale situation that can no longer be covered up by claiming “a few disgruntled or unhappy people” are stirring it all up out there and everything is great. Its time to get real Jim. The two of you and the sheriff have completely left the place in ruins. Nice job Jim.
Jack,
If you’re using an editorial (opinion) of the paper as fact then your argument has not merit.
sorry for the typo, …no merit.
Jim,
The editorial “coincidently” hits the nail on the head, as many of us understand the crooked culture out at GLTHS.
I’m not here to pull your head out of the sands of denial. I will go over you to presuade the electorate.
Stay tuned.
I love the debate. But my arguement is based on your hearsay information. We all know that the paper is opinion orientated. you cannot use the paper as a “primary source” .
Old saying….believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you read.
The focus has been on the voke, has anyone looked at lowell high or dracut? what their culture like? I understand that teachers from both schools apply to the voke whenever there is an opening.. (heresay..I know) Why is that if the place is so awful?
Because the place isn’t awful Jim; that’s why people want to work at GLTHS. Despite the BS hearsay and Pete Townsend lyrics that Jack Mitchell offers up as [cough] evidence.