That’s NOT leadership, Mr. Chairman

By Marty Benson

Statement from the Select Board May 9, 2022

Mr. Martin your dismissive remarks toward Fred Smith’s “Nazi Contingent” Facebook comments and the lack of respect and empathy shown towards Mr. Kadlec when he sought to be heard by the DEIC was disgraceful. Rather than working to address the problem and unite the community, you instead launched into a divisive political attack filled with erroneous statements directed at supporters of the Colonial Mascot. That’s NOT leadership, Mr. Chairman.

Last year while serving as Clerk of the Select Board, you had no problem announcing when both Kyra Wilson Cooke and Ginny Kremer wished to speak during portions of meetings not open to public comment in order for them to launch attacks on the sitting Select Board Chair. However, as Chair of the DEIC, you denied Mr. Kadlec, who survived the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, the opportunity to speak when the topic of discussion was the definition of Antisemitism. That’s NOT equitable leadership Mr. Chairman.

Your heinous comments at the last Select Board meeting displayed a breath-taking lack of sensitivity to any other viewpoints other than your own while devaluing Mr. Kadlec’s lived experience. Acting defensively, you went on to justify your comments by insinuating that you were Jewish as a way to silence Mr. Kadlec’s objections. That’s NOT honest leadership Mr. Chairman.

When the police investigation of the Zoom bombings of the School Committee, an investigation you voted for, didn’t support your narrative linking the Zoom bomber to the supporters of the Colonial Mascot you refused to acknowledge your error and apologize. That’s NOT accountable leadership, Mr. Chairman.

In regards to the Public Records request for text messages of School Committee members during the October 15, 2020 and December 17,2020 meetings, which have been sought for more than a year and a half, the School Committee has engaged in one dilatory tactic after another. Multiple defenses of the School Committee and the School District have all been rejected by the Secretary of the State’s office. When confronted in the latest appeal with 200 specific time-stamped requests of members‘ text messages, the School District denied that members were text messaging. This is notwithstanding the School Committee’s written admission in an OML response that multiple members were text messaging with one another during the October 15, 2020 meeting. The School Committee’s refusal to comply with the law is the reason why these records requests are so costly. Colluding with the School Committee and the School Administration in fighting the production of public records is NOT ethical leadership, Mr. Chairman. 

At the last Select Board meeting, Mr. Mangiaratti mentioned that the town had just celebrated Earth Day, but made no mention of a Patriot’s Day Celebration. The cancellation of Patriot’s Day was never discussed during any Select Board meetings. Additionally, the Town has not issued a response to my records request on this matter which is in direct violation of the Public Records Law. Mr. Chair, did you tell Mr. Mangiaratti in private not to lend the traditional Town support to this year’s Patriots Day celebration?

Mr. Chairman, real town leaders reconcile multiple perspectives ahead of their personal agendas—and that is the pinnacle of honorable town LEADERSHIP.

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