Two months ago, a 9-year-old nonverbal autistic Cambridge student was assaulted en route to his out-of-district school in Southboro. The bus company, NRT, tried to blame the boy’s injuries on another student in the vehicle, until its security video exposed the lie. His own bus monitor had assaulted him. She claimed he was possessed by the devil. According to my conversations with the boy’s mother and her attorney, the second monitor in the vehicle concurred. Autistic students are all possessed by the devil, she allegedly said.


What has the district’s administration done to ensure that the second monitor is not riding in vehicles carrying other Cambridge students out of district? How has the administration punished NRT for the lie, in violation of the $40 million contract the school committee awarded it last year? What if any action has the superintendent taken in relation to his transportation department? Last year, substantiating a complaint that I filed, the state found Cambridge in “systemic violation” of three special education transportation laws—one of which concerned the transportation department’s negligent failure to adequately train and supervise monitors. No media reported the findings. The state ordered corrective action, yet less than a year later, the department seated a monitor who thinks nonverbal autistic children are possessed by the devil.

The foregoing questions I asked during public comment at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting, the final regular meeting of its two-year term. I sat down, expecting to hear from the superintendent, whose presentation about transportation followed public comment on the agenda.

Alas, Member David Weinstein motioned to suspend the rules. He wished to bring forth two items scheduled for the last part of the meeting, items more important than the superintendent’s presentation and certainly more urgent that the safety of the district’s autistic students in transport. What were the items that could not wait a moment longer? Two ceremonial resolutions, one honoring Member José Luis Rojas Villareal, one honoring Vice-Chair Carolyn Hunter, both of whom lost their re-election bids last month.

After an hour of compulsory praise for the departing members, the superintendent gave his preempted presentation. In its course he did not mention any consequences for NRT or his transportation department. He did not assure families like mine that our children are safe in the vendor’s vehicles. Perhaps he did not want to say too much because he is aware of the victim’s forthcoming lawsuit against NRT and the district. According to my research, NRT or its affiliates have been sued approximately 130 times for personal injury. In September, the company paid $3.5 million to settle a case in which a disabled student was raped on a vehicle.

Member Richard Harding noted with dismay that he tends to hear about such incidents first from news media. Member Rachel Weinstein alluded to the “despicable” second monitor that may or may not still be riding with Cambridge students on NRT’s vehicles. Perhaps the committee should get the Attorney General’s office involved, she suggested. The superintendent answered euphemistically. “It is a relationship that I would describe as a work in progress.” To me, that sounded as though he was not sure what to do. But he was not pressed by any other member. The chief operating officer, in charge of transportation, attended the meeting but did not speak.

The committee moved on to another time-waster, an attempt by Mayor Simmons to foist on the next committee 17 revisions and amendments of the official rules. Of the changes that no one asked the Mayor to propose, Member Elizabeth Hudson said, “I was surprised to see this on the agenda last week and not receive a redlined version until two and half hours into the meeting today.” “This wasn’t nefarious in any way,” the Mayor replied. Member David Weinstein — the Kamala Harris of the committee — stammered out a compromise. The debate, painful in its pointlessness, droned on for more than a half hour with motions, amendments, et cetera. Simmons appeared oblivious to the reality that in passing charter reform, thus removing the position of mayor as the automatic chair of the school committee, the voters of Cambridge in effect unseated her.

To this school committee, I cannot offer a fond farewell. Perhaps the next one will refrain from spending the public’s time on ceremonies better suited to the organized hypocrisy of a private social club. If a school committee serves students first and foremost, then the question stands: Are the students safe on NRT’s vehicles?

A stronger

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