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Residents criticize DEI work; school leaders say district will follow Massachusetts law
Summary
Public commenters at the March 5 Bourne School Committee meeting urged the district to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts and warned of federal funding risks; the committee said it has received no directives to change policy and noted federal funding comprises roughly 2.6% of the district budget.
Several residents used the meeting's public comment period to urge the Bourne School Committee to curtail district Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts and to question the potential impact of federal directives on local schools.
"DEI is the cornerstone of a road leading to communism," said Francis Cichowski of Pocasset, who urged the committee to "end the madness" and to follow what he described as the President's direction to eliminate DEI and redirect funds to curriculum enhancements. Kristen Brissette, a journalist for The Boston Broadside, said she had "emailed the chair and the superintendent" without receiving a reply and asked whether the committee had considered student impacts and a plan if federal funding were at risk. Michael Fraser, a part-time Bourne resident, said DEI materials are prominent in school spaces and urged the committee to "let kids be kids."
Chair Emily Berry responded during the public comment period, stressing that the district follows legal guidance and that "harassment by any student is never accepted in Bourne schools." Berry read a committee statement prepared with legal counsel and said the district has not received new directives from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education instructing it to change policies. The statement noted that, at present, there have been no changes to federal or state law and that federal funds account for approximately 2.6% of the district's budget.
Committee member Kari MacRae said she brought the item forward after receiving multiple community inquiries and concerns about reports that schools could lose federal funding tied to executive orders. MacRae said the discussion was intended to reassure community members and to clarify the district's posture if legal or policy mandates change.
The committee did not take formal action on the topic at the March 5 meeting. Chair Berry and the members said they would continue to follow Massachusetts law and the advice of legal counsel and state authorities if guidance or statutes change.
