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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03-24 Human Relations Advisory Committee Minutes�} Y� 6 I of Reading eting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: Human Relations Advisory Committee Date: 2022-03-24 Time: 7:30 Building: Location: Address: Session: Purpose: Monthly Meeting Version: Attendees: Members - Present: RECEIVED TOWN CLERK READING, MA. ?K 2022 APR 12 PH 1:46 Sherilla LeStnade, Sgt. Patrick Silva, Ally Dowds, Ashley Gross, Carolyn Whiting, Carolyn Johnson Members - Not Present: Danielle DiVirgilio, Kyung Yu Others Present: Reginald Nichols, Aujanetta Stith, Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee (DESJ) Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Carolyn Johnson Topics of Discussion: Meeting of the Human Relations Advisory Committee, March 24, 2022, 7:30 PM Via Zoom Called to order at 7:34 PM. Police Readout/Report - Sgt. Silva Sgt. Silva reported that he's been spending time on opening lines of communication and discussing possible programming with different organizations around town. To date he has met with the Supt. of Schools, resource officers, all school principals (except JE), Sudeshna Chaterjee, and Curtis Martin. He has also corresponded with different religious organizations around Reading. Sherilla will give Sgt. Silva a list of more groups he can contact. Library Report - Ally Dowds Ally has spoken with Dr. Hardy to brainstorm ideas for social justice programming in the schools. She is working towards a direct partnership with schools and student groups. Ally discussed a 4 month informational series sponsored by the library: Recently the library collaborated with the Nature Connection on a sensory event, very good turnout (over 30 people), organization provides therapeutic programming for adults Upcoming program in May will be Anatomy of a Protest in collaboration with We the People, geared towards grade 3 through teens. Page 1 1 Z5 of Reading 14 -et -Ing eting Minutes Sherilla suggested Ally connect with Understanding Disabilities and also mentioned that she's been sharing library information with the schools. Introduction of Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee Sudeshna is finishing up her 3rd week in her new position as Director of Equity and Social Justice She reported that she's been meeting with people/stakeholders and having discovery meetings. She has already met with The Reading Coalition, Sgt. Silva, and Ally Dowds. She will meet with Understanding Disabilities and school administration in the near future. Current goals are: Devise a strategic planning document Form a Reading Alliance Work with town Human Relations office Work with new Town Manager, Fidel Maltez, on event planning Staff training Office hours are at the Reading Public Library, weekdays 9am - Spm Discussion of Burbank Ice Arena Incident (1/26/22) Reginald Nichols introduced himself and his wife, Aujanetta Stith as 18 year residents of Reading. They have a daughter at Parker Middle School who has been skating at Burbank for the past 6 years as a member of the North Shore Skating Club. Mr. Nichols stated that they have never had any issues at Burbank up until this point, and that they were not present at the hockey games where the Zamboni driving incident occurred but that they heard about it after the fact.. Mr. Nichols explained that after weeks of not seeing a public apology from Burbank they decided to write a letter to the manager. In the letter they ask for transparency about what happened, how it was dealt with, and offered helpful resources. Sherilla and Ashley are the only HRAC members who have seen the letter at the time of this meeting. In his response to them the manager wrote that he had a conversation with the employee who drove the Zamboni wearing the Native American headwear, and that he spoke with Dr. Milaschewski as well as Tom Zaya, Assistant Principal for Activities, Clubs, and Athletics. Mr. Nichols and Ms. Stith stated their disappointment with the manager's response to themt. They pointed out that they are longtime paying customers of Burbank, the arena represents Reading, and it has a no -harassment policy posted in several places around the facility. They are discouraged that an ethnic group was targeted during a public event and no public acknowledgment of the incident or apology has occurred to date. They feel his response was "tone deaf", and akin to "nothing to see here, move along". They feel this was an "ouch" and a "teachable moment" that is not being taken seriously. They feel that Burbank Ice Arena is no longer an inclusive facility as this "issue has been swept under the rug". Sherilla also discussed her outrage that Burbank hasn't publicly apologized or made a statement about the incident. Page 1 2 `�4-eting n of Reading Minutes Carolyn J. suggested that HRAC request to get on the Select Board agenda to review this incident and the lack of public acknowledgement by Burbank as well town committees and boards. Sherilla made a motion that the letter be sent to the Select Board along with a request to be put on the agenda of both the Select Board and the School Committee. Carolyn J. seconded the motion. Carolyn J. will also share a letter she drafted to Burbank with the rest of HRAC to be discussed at the next meeting on April 7. Vote on Meeting Minutes There was some discussion on how to share documents to the group. Sherilla pointed out that on other committees she's a member of meeting minutes are shared to the group ahead of time so members can review and then they are discussed, edited, and voted on at the following meeting. Everyone agreed this is what HRAC will do going forward, although no one currently in HRAC has ever screen -shared during a Zoom meeting, so that needs to be figured out. It was agreed the letter written by Mr. Nichols and Ms. Stith would be included in the minutes for the 3/24/22 meeting when they are formally submitted. Review of upcoming events Carolyn W. mentioned that she got a police permit for an anti -death penalty protest to take place on the Reading Common (MA Citizens Against the Death Penalty, Boston North Chapter). She will apply for other necessary permits. Various ideas for how to post events were discussed. Ashley suggested posting a paragraph of information for events (as opposed to just the name and date of the event). It was generally agreed that this would be a lot of work and at this point we don't have enough HRAC members for someone to take that on. Carolyn J. gave an update on Sherri Vanden Akker's interview with Dr. Anna Ornstein. The process has taken much longer than anticipated but it will be available for next year's International Day of Remembrance as well as any other days of significance or events it would be appropriate for. Sherilla proposed giving Dr. Ornstein a plaque to say thank you. Carolyn J. also talked about her meeting with Fidel Maltez, and that he is very supportive of HRAC initiatives. She discussed his experience with a large Pride celebration in Chelsea and that he would support HRAC and the DES] organizing a larger event for Reading. It was discussed that LBGTQ student groups should be included in the organization of these events. Next meeting was set for April 7 at 7pm. Meeting adjourned at 9pm by Chair Sherilla LeStrade Page 1 3 (Weting n of Reading Minutes Mr. Edward Peduto, General Manager Burbank Ice Arena 51 Symonds Way Reading, MA 01867 April 11, 2022 Dear Mr. Peduto, As members of the Human Relations Advisory Committee of Reading (HRAC) we are writing to express our concern about an incident at Reading's Burbank Ice Arena on the evening of January 26th, 2022. As we understand it, an employee drove the Zamboni during RMHS boys' and girls' high school hockey games while wearing Native American headwear representing the former Wakefield Warrior "mascot". Perhaps not all people of Native American descent are engaged in speaking out against such displays of cultural insensitivity and misrepresentation of indigenous people. However, this doesn't mean it is not harmful and disrespectful towards their culture. It is well documented that Native American mascot use reinforces negative stereotypes and inaccurate history. This misrepresentation can be particularly troubling when children are involved, as is what happened that night at Burbank during a public event. For some perspective, the following linked article includes interviews of four people with Native American backgrounds explaining their views and experiences with Native American mascots: HRAC's mandate is to provide insight, information, and educational opportunities to help people from different backgrounds better understand and respect one another. We seek to promote a celebration and appreciation for differences. To that end, we will address local incidents when we believe the opposite of that has occurred, as we feel it did in this case. Our goal is not to shame or assert control, but to promote meaningful conversation that allows community members to address incidents and concerns constructively and with respect. Reading is fortunate to have a new Director of Equity and Social Justice, Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee, who will help us to navigate these types of situations in the future We are concerned that to date you haven't issued a public apology or provided any transparency into the specific steps you took after that evening. When public incidents like this get swept under the rug it gives the illusion that we don't care. Additionally, a lack of public acknowledgement can be interpreted by some as permission to do more of the same. Finally, this incident was a clear and public violation of Burbank's no-harrassment policy ( that is posted throughout the arena). We hope that you want to be true to that policy by issuing a public statement. Ultimately, the response to this unfortunate public incident is a reflection on Burbank Arena and the Town of Reading. We look forward to your reply. Thank you, The Human Relations Advisory Committee of Reading Sherilla Lestrade, Chair Carolyn Johnson Ashley Gross Sgt. Patrick Silva Carolyn Whiting Page 14 n of Reading " eting Minutes Reginald N. Nichols Aujanetta Stith 341 West Street Reading, MA 01867 (781) 439-0581 (781) 315-9277 nichols.regQgmail.com aujanetta@gmail.com March 20, 2022 Burbank Ice Arena Management Team 51 Symonds Way Reading, MA 01867 Dear Burbank Management Team, We write to you regarding an incident during the boys hockey game between Reading Memorial High School and Wakefield High School at the Burbank Arena on January 26th, 2022. It was reported that one of your employees was dressed in a Native American headdress and had a "Save the Warrior" sign on the side of the Zamboni as they cleaned the ice throughout the game. As 18 year residents of Reading, and as parents of a child who belongs to the North Shore Skate Club we have spent a significant amount of our time and money into supporting arena events. We are highly disappointed and disturbed by the employee's alleged behavior. This act is offensive to the indigenous people whose ancestral land Burbank Arena resides on. Misrepresentation of indigenous culture supports an environment that should be unwelcome in this community. As a result of this incident, a community organization that we support made the decision to not move forward with plans for an event in support of BIPOC Reading students and families at the arena. We recommended Burbank, a place we thought would be welcoming to all, to host an event in support of students, families and friends of diverse backgrounds coming together with all members of the Reading community. That recommendation feels very regrettable at this point. Our family has always enjoyed our time spent at Burbank. However, this incident questions our confidence in Burbank's leadership. We ask for some transparency from Burbank leadership as to how this matter has been handled and what steps have been taken to ensure this offensive incident will not be repeated. To assist with next steps, we strongly recommend Burbank reach out to a local Native American Organization such as the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA), who provides public education programs to help dispel the perpetuation of myths and inaccurate information that historically have been used as tools to suppress and misrepresent Native American culture. MCNAA hosts, supports, and participates in quality workshops, lectures and panel discussions that are held in person and virtually to the broader community. You can reach MCNAA via: Phone: 617-642-1683 Text: 617-642-1683 Email: mcnaa@aol.com Website: https:/Aw .menaa.org Sincerely, Reginald N. Nichols & Aujanetta Stith Page 1 5 Wet-i of Reading ng Minutes CC: Fidel Maltez, Reading Town Manager Ashley Gross, Chair, Reading Human Relations Advisory Board Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent, Reading Public Schools Dr. Sarah Hardy, Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Teaching Dr. Jennifer Stys, Director of Student Services Kurus Martin, METCO K-12 Director Thomas Wise, Chairperson, Reading School Committee Shawn Brandt, Vice Chair, Reading School Committee Shannon Knuth, President, North Shore Skate Club Karen Perrino, Vice President, North Shore Skate Club Vage 1 6 • of Reading eting Minutes Dear Mr. Nichols & Ms. Stith, The incident of January 26, 2022 at the Burbank Ice Arena is one which I have worked hard to educate my staff about. I spoke to the employee involved at length about the arena being apolitical and as an employee he must conform to the policies of the Reading Ice Arena Authority, Inc. while working. Posted in multiple locations of the arena is the Harassment policy which states "harassment of any kind, including but not limited to age, sex,color, handicap, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic background is prohibited....." After productive discussions with Reading Memorial High School Athletic Director Tom Zaya and Superintendent of Reading Public Schools Thomas Milaschewski (both of whom received feedback from the public, I had not), I again spoke with my staff about the seriousness of this matter. As personnel matters in a business remain confidential, I can assure you that there will be zero tolerance for a repeat of this or any similar offense. I am disappointed in the extrapolation of one employee's conduct translating to thoughts that the conduct involved is reflective of the organization's culture. The Burbank Arena has been an incredibly inclusive facility since its opening in 1994. Not only has the arena hosted skating events, it has hosted road races, "Jams for Jake" drug educational concerts, haunted houses, public works and firefighting training sessions, police dog drug search training and has donated raffle items to many organizations throughout the community. Since its inception, the Burbank Arena has hosted "Reading Special Skates, " a special needs ice skating program for which anyone needing skates is provided ice skates free of charge. Reading Special Skates is the only group that has never had its ice taken for even a day for any reason. The Burbank Arena offers public skating sessions year-round. Very few, if any, local rinks offer that. Furthermore, Burbank Arena offers rental ice skates for those that cannot afford or choose not to purchase ice skates. Burbank Arena staff brings its skates to other rinks that choose not to supply them so that EVERYONE can enjoy the thrill of ice skating. Notable customers of this service are the University of Massachusetts/Boston and Northeastern University, both of whom have held ice skating sessions for both their diverse student body and inner city youth. I am proud to say that Burbank Arena management prevailed over my Board of Directors' opinions that "we don't need rental skates, people here (in Reading) can afford their own." I regret that this incident occurred. I can assure you that all of your concerns had been addressed long before the March 20, 2022 arrival of your letter. I remain committed to serving all members of the public equally in the welcoming manner that our customers have experienced for the past twenty-seven plus years. Please know that I am available to discuss any matter relating to the Burbank Ice Arena at any time. Respectfully, Edward P. Peduto General Manager Page 1 7