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Select Board forms public work group to oversee review of 2018 African Meeting House investigation
Summary
The Select Board voted to form an appointed, open-meeting work group — including a Select Board member, a representative of the Museum of African American History, a representative of the warrant-article proponents and two community appointees — to publicly oversee the review called for by Article 36 of the 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
The Select Board voted unanimously to form a public work group to oversee a review of the investigation referenced in Article 36 of the 2024 Annual Town Meeting, which asked the town to pursue a review of the investigation into the hate crime at the African Meeting House.
Under the announced process, the group will include one Select Board member (the board indicated Malcolm will serve in that role), a representative of the Museum of African American History (Director Dr. Noel Trent indicated the museum endorses a transparent review), a representative from the Article 36 proponents, and two community members appointed after a public application process. The board directed that the group be formed and operate in compliance with open meeting law: meetings and agendas will be posted, meetings will be recorded and minutes will be available publicly. The board also said applications for the two citizen seats will be solicited through the town’s appointment process and evaluated in open session.
Dr. Noel Trent, director of the Museum of African American History, told the board the museum “fully endorse[s]” a transparent review and said the museum is interested in accountability and “other forms of justice that will help the museum and the community move forward,” while noting a criminal conviction may not be feasible at this time. Barbara Burgo, who identified herself as a Brewster resident and former chair of a county human rights commission, told the board she supports a transparent, timely process and asked that appointments not expose applicants to retaliation.
The board set a public timeline for soliciting applications and said staff would publish the vacancy notice on the town website, in the local newspaper and on board agendas. Staff said applications would be shared with Select Board members and key stakeholders by Feb. 28 and the board would proceed with appointments in public session. The motion to establish the work group and follow the advertised timeline passed by roll call vote with all members recorded as aye.
Board members said the revised process is intended to address concerns raised about the initial procurement attempt and to ensure the review is both transparent and procedurally correct.
