Parents and residents urge action after alleged long-running bullying, call for superintendent’s resignation

Parents and other residents told the Falmouth School Committee on Jan. 14 that their children faced ongoing bullying that district staff and leaders failed to document or address, and several speakers called for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Lori Dewar and removal of a school principal.

Those speaking at the committee’s public-comment period described repeated incidents at elementary schools they said persisted for months without formal reports, prompt parent notification or consistent discipline. “For five months he was brutally bullied,” parent Autumn Rotler said about her 7-year-old son’s experience at East Falmouth (East) Elementary. Rotler said a requested bullying-report form was not completed, that a school resource officer delayed submitting an incident report and that district staff denied requests to view video footage before she learned she had a legal right to request it under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Why it matters: Speakers framed the issues as both immediate child-safety failures and as evidence of broader leadership and policy breakdowns that they said affect thousands of district students. Kevin Rottler, who also spoke about his son’s experience, cited Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71, section 37O (the state’s bullying-prevention law) and the district’s own bullying-prevention policy when arguing that the district had not complied with reporting and intervention requirements.

Discussion and demands: Commenters pressed the committee to prioritize systems that ensure incidents are documented and investigated, to restore parents’ confidence in school safety, and to reevaluate leadership. Rotler said she had repeatedly reported the incidents to multiple administrators and to the superintendent, and asserted those reports were not handled in accordance with the district’s procedures. Speakers asked that committee members require documentation of corrective steps, enhanced training for staff on bullying prevention and FERPA procedures, and clearer communication to families.

Committee response and next steps: Committee members accepted public comment and did not take action at the meeting. The committee chair reminded the public that, under open-meeting law, the committee cannot act immediately on items raised during public comment but may accept additional written submissions at schoolcommittee@falmouth.k12.ma.us and may decide later whether to place follow-up items on a future agenda.

What was cited: Speakers explicitly referenced Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71, section 37O (bullying prevention) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). They cited the district’s published bullying-prevention policy when urging that the district follow its own procedures.

Ending note: Several speakers said they remain willing to provide the committee with documentation and urged the committee to schedule a follow-up discussion or formal review of the district’s handling of reported incidents.