Wayland HRDEI committee to send Select Board letter on identity-based conflicts

WAYLAND — November 15, 2022 — Wayland HRDEI committee drafts Select Board letter amid superintendent probe. Acting under Vice Chair Karen Blumenfeld, the committee voted 6-0 Tuesday to draft and submit a letter before the Nov. 21 Select Board meeting recommending the town adopt new practices for conflicts involving "racial or other identity-based differences" — prompted by the independent investigation of Superintendent Omar Easy, who is Black, over anonymous complaints from white School Committee members. Blumenfeld said the committee would not second-guess specifics: "This current conflict may not be about race, but it includes race." In a separate unanimous vote, the committee endorsed including a townwide equity audit in the fiscal 2024 budget; Acting Town Manager John Bugbee estimated the cost at $50,000 to $60,000, versus roughly $100,000 in Arlington. Members also approved a Dec. 1 soft launch of the community reporting line.