Council schedules joint session with school committee to hear Enough Abuse presentation

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a petition to schedule a joint session with the School Committee for a presentation from Jenna Berney, executive director of the nonprofit Enough Abuse, which trains schools and communities on preventing and addressing sexual abuse.

Councilor Warren, who brought the petition, said Enough Abuse has worked with Massachusetts schools and provides training, policy guidance and building‑site evaluations to identify locations where students may be vulnerable. “They have a state and national reputation,” Warren said, urging the council to schedule the presentation soon so public dialogue could proceed.

Nut graf: Councilors said the topic — preventing abuse in schools and improving investigation and reporting practices — is time‑sensitive and warrants broad community discussion. The council voted unanimously to approve a special joint session; staff and the petitioner will coordinate timing with the School Committee and report back to councilors.

What was requested

Councilor Warren asked the council to invite Enough Abuse to present to councilors, school committee members and the public. He said the organization provides trainings for staff and students, public education, and school‑building site evaluations that can identify unobservable or poorly monitored spaces in older school buildings.

Council response and next steps

Councilors supported the petition and said the community needs more public dialogue and tools to address allegations and prevention. The council discussed using an already scheduled joint session on Feb. 5 as a possible forum; Councilor Warren said he would coordinate with the presenter to confirm availability.

Ending: The council voted unanimously to approve the petition; staff will finalize arrangements with school officials and Enough Abuse and report back on the date and agenda for the joint meeting.