Smithfield School Committee accepts superintendent resignation, appoints Lisa Odm as interim amid external probe

The Smithfield School Committee on Dec. 18 accepted the superintendent’s resignation following a legal review of the district’s handling of a student harassment incident and appointed Lisa Odm as interim superintendent.

The committee read a prepared statement saying its legal counsel concluded the incident “was mishandled in several aspect[s],” including student-discipline determinations and public communications. The statement said a complaint was filed with the Rhode Island Department of Education and that the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office announced it is conducting an independent investigation.

“None of this diminishes the hurt experienced by any targeted student,” the committee’s prepared statement said, adding the district will revise student, employee and coach handbooks and review communications processes to avoid similar problems in the future. The statement reiterated that federal and state law require student matters remain confidential.

A committee member who read additional remarks criticized outside public handling of the matter: “Journalists have a responsibility to report the truth accurately and responsibly, not to sensationalize or rely on click driven headlines,” the member said, urging careful treatment of stories that involve children and emphasizing the committee’s obligation to due process.

Following executive session, the committee approved an interim superintendent contract and then voted to appoint Lisa Odm as interim superintendent. Motions to approve the contract and to appoint Odm were made, seconded and carried by voice vote; the audio record does not include numeric tallies.

The committee said it relied on legal counsel’s review and will await the Attorney General’s findings while continuing an internal review and the search for a permanent superintendent. The committee also said it will protect student confidentiality as required by law and will implement recommended procedural changes.

What happens next: the Attorney General’s independent investigation is pending, and the committee said it will report back on procedural reforms and handbook revisions as they occur. The committee also said it will proceed with the superintendent search process in parallel.