Former HRIC vice chair tells Danvers committee a harassment investigation found systemic issues but recommended training went unimplemented

Shilpa Jacoby, a Danvers resident and former co-vice chair of the Human Rights and Inclusion Committee, told the committee that she filed a harassment report in March and that the town engaged a legal investigator in May. She said the completed investigative report was received in July but that she has seen no evidence of promised staff training, which a mediator had identified as needed to address systemic issues.

Jacoby read excerpts she said were from the investigative report. One excerpt she quoted said that, although some language directed at her was impolite, investigators found "no evidence that these terms implicated your membership in a protected category, and therefore they do not constitute harassment." Another excerpt, Jacoby said, acknowledged her concerns as "genuine" and said additional staff training was recommended.

"It is now November," Jacoby said. "And again, there isn't even a whisper of any kind of training nor has the administration at my institution made check-ins with me." She described daily workplace harms to her sense of safety and urged the committee to hold elected and appointed officials accountable for follow-through.

Committee members responded with empathy and concern. Several said they were disturbed by Jacoby’s account and expressed a desire to pursue more substantive follow-up beyond statements of sympathy. One member said the committee should "ask some questions again" about whether remediation procedures addressed the concerns raised. Another said the committee should use its voice to press for action.

The committee did not record a formal vote or decision on specific administrative actions during the meeting; members discussed pursuing follow-up with town administration and partner bodies to clarify next steps and whether recommended training has been scheduled or budgeted.