Sousa’s in the hot seat

By Polly Mikula

A Feb. 6 petition calling for the “resignation or removal” of Mountain Views Supervisory Union’s  (MVSU) Superintendent Sherry Sousa garnered 114 signatures as of Tuesday, Feb. 18, but school leaders, educators and some district board members have since come to her defense. 

Sousa, who has worked for 30 years in the district, many of which were as a middle and high school special educator, came under pressure after the district settled its second discrimination and harassment case in two years. 

Last year’s lawsuit stemmed from four years of purported harassment against a male student at Woodstock Elementary School and Middle School that cost the district $97,500 to settle out of court. This year’s settlement of $175,000 was the largest school-based claim in the history of the Vermont Human Rights Commission (HRC) and stemmed from “MVSU’s utter failure to protect a Black child who suffered racism and abuse in the school system,” according to the petition.

The petition also notes other allegations of threats, bullying and sexual assault that have been inadequately addressed by district leadership over the past few years. “The abuse that happens to our students under Superintendent Sousa’s leadership goes beyond the stories we hear when the district settles yet another lawsuit,” it reads.

“Within our schools, the superintendent bears the ultimate responsibility to ensure an inclusive, equitable and safe environment is not just our aspiration but our kids’ reality,” the petition continued. 

Petitioners also found Sousa’s response to the incident inadequate. Sousa has said she disagrees with the HRC ruling and “decided to settle the dispute to avoid the time and expense of litigation,” the petition contends. “This is not only dismissive of the harm caused, but fails to accept any responsibility for the role the school district and leadership played in this matter,” the petition states. 

Signees of the petition are mostly parents — and include residents of each of the district towns: Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Woodstock — but also notably include two MVSU current board members: Ryan Townsend from Bridgewater and Josh Linton from Pymouth, as well as two candidates for the board in Woodstock: Sarit Werner and Kelly Linton. 

Supporting Sousa, district efforts

In response, members of the district school communities including board members, teachers and other administrators have written letters of support for Sousa and her work within the district. 

“As district employees, we were very concerned to see the petition calling for the removal or resignation of Superintendent Sherry Sousa,” begins a letter to the board signed by over 60 educators. “Confronting racism and swiftly addressing racist incidents are of the highest priority in our work. We believe this petition mischaracterizes the deep and ongoing commitment of our district, led by Sherry, to address these persistent and pervasive problems in our society and schools.”

Anna Sessa, a MVSU board member from Reading who’s also the mom of two sons in the school district, “one of whom also happens to be Black,” wrote an open letter to the community Feb. 10, which struck a balance of understanding the call for betterment while supporting Sousa and the current efforts underway throughout the district. Her letter was posted on many town listservs.

“Before I joined the board I had strong opinions (mostly negative) about the board’s work and its decisions. Now in my second term as a board member, I have realized neither the board nor the public will ever have all the information. My guesstimate: the public hears 50% of the story, the school board hears another 30% and 20% can not be shared due to privacy laws,” Sessa explained.  “This situation was particularly difficult for me and I can also say it was handled with the utmost empathy and concern for the student’s well-being. Yes, there were things that could’ve been done quicker/better… While our district and people are not perfect, we have a progressive group that is willing to accept short-comings and work to improve them. This aspect is the most important when working toward racial justice and belonging,” Sessa wrote.  “My own family has had repeated racial incidents on several different MVSD campuses,” she continued. “Make no mistake — racism is prevalent in our communities… Superintendent Sousa has repeatedly shown her motivation to create an antiracist district…At a time when equity, diversity and inclusion are under attack, it’s in our district, community and students’ best interest to keep our current leadership intact… Like most social justice endeavors, this is a work in progress and it needs fostering not firing.”