Final Summary of PHS Investigation Released
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A School Committee-initiated investigation into allegations of misconduct by Pittsfield High School staff members was unable to conclude that an administrator shared a nude image with students on social media.
On Thursday, the final executive summary was released. It is focused on administrator 2, who is alleged to have shared a photograph of female genitalia on her Snapchat account.
"During this investigation, we sought to determine the validity of allegations about PHS Administrator #2 sharing a photograph of female genitalia with PHS students on her Snapchat account," the 11-page report reads.
"Notwithstanding the information we obtained from persons we interviewed and the documents and materials we reviewed, we are unable to conclude with confidence that on her Snapchat account (or possibly through her other social media accounts), PHS Administrator #2 knowingly or intentionally sent to or knowingly or intentionally shared with minors or students a picture of female genitalia."
The investigation was based largely on second- and third-hand accounts. The report states, "It appears that what has circulated in the community may be a screenshot of a photograph allegedly posted by PHS Administrator #2 on her Snapchat account."
Three administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP for a range of allegations that surfaced or re-surfaced at the end of 2024 after Pittsfield High's former dean of students, Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts.
The report states that the Pittsfield Public Schools' investigation into allegations regarding the photograph was complicated by another set of pictures that "confused" the allegations.
"In early March 2023, PHS administrators conducted a preliminary inquiry of two photographs of PHS Administrator #2 wearing a shirt with a low-cut neckline while at her home, which a student related to her through marriage had posted on his own Snapchat account. PPS administrators spoke with PHS Administrator #2 about the photographs but did not consider these photographs as warranting a report to DCF," it reads, explaining that on viewing the photographs, the firm agrees.
BRG wrote that since "at least June 2023," there have been claims about a photograph depicting female genitalia allegedly shared on Snapchat by administrator 2 that have circulated the district and community. The allegation came to PPS administrators in June 2023 from two sources: an anonymous letter from a concerned citizen and a Taconic High School student who had heard about the photograph but not seen it.
"The Taconic administrator notified PPS and included a copy of the Taconic student's written statement. Upon receiving this information, PPS administrators undertook an inquiry into the claims but could find nothing to support it," the report reads.
"During an inquiry by PPS's Human Resources Department (HR") in June 2023, PHS Administrator #2 adamantly denied the allegations."
In December 2024, a community member sent a copy of a photograph depicting female genitalia allegedly shared with students by administrator 2 to Superintendent Joseph Curtis. That same month, the Department of Children and Families received a report of alleged suspected child abuse and/or neglect, and after an investigation, found the allegations made against administrator 2 "unsupported."
BRG said between June 2023 and December 2024, "No student, parent, educator or administrator came forward to PPS administrators with the photograph or reported seeing it on PHS Administrator #2's Snapchat or her other social media accounts." The firm is aware of no other reports to the PPS administration, law enforcement, or DCF regarding the photograph, and was unable to find out if there is an ongoing investigation regarding it from law enforcement officials.
"We found no direct evidence that establishes that the copy of the photograph of female genitalia sent to the PPS Superintendent by Community Member #1 (which we have viewed during our investigation) is of or was taken by Administrator #2. We could find no direct evidence that PHS Administrator #2 purposefully disseminated this photograph or specifically intended to direct an electronic communication of this photograph to minors," the report reads.
"We could find no direct evidence that any person or PPS student under eighteen received this photograph from her. However, we learned from an audio recording from the court hearing on PHS Administrator #2's petition seeking a Harassment Prevention Order against the Former Pittsfield Resident, that PHS Administrator #2 advised the District Court judge that: she never posted online the photograph that is alleged to be of her genitalia; she is not certain that the picture posted online is of her genitalia; and any pictures of her vagina would have been taken 'privately' on her phone."
With one exception, BRG was unable to identify by name a PHS student or minor who claimed that, while friends with administrator 2 on Snapchat, they saw the photograph of female genitalia posted
by the administrator on her Snapchat account.
"We neither spoke with nor identified any person who claimed to have seen the photograph directly on PHS Administrator #2's Snapchat account. Instead, it appears what has circulated in the community may be a screen shot of a photograph allegedly posted by PHS Administrator #2 on her Snapchat account," BRG wrote.
"The only exception is what we learned from the mother of PHS Student #3. She advised us that her son is unwilling to speak with anyone, including us, about this matter. Therefore, we were left with only a second-hand account of what PHS Student #3 claims occurred. His mother stated that, in the spring of 2023, PHS Student #3 told his parents that he had been "in possession" of a photograph of female genitalia which he saw on PHS Administrator #2's Snapchat account, where he was one of her Snapchat "friends," after he graduated from PHS in 2022."
According to the student's mother, he told his parents months later and also claimed that the administrator threatened to sue him for defamation. He did not tell his parents that other PHS students saw the photograph on the administrator's Snapchat account.
During a follow-up interview, the administrator denied being Snapchat friends with any recent PHS graduates during that time and denied having any conversations with recent graduates about defamation lawsuits.
The administrator told PPS administrators and the police in November of 2023 that she was being stalked online by a person who threatened to send photographs of her to the superintendent and PHS Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko. In December of 2024, a former Pittsfield resident made "broad claims" about the administrator on a Facebook Live stream and posted a partially redacted photograph claiming that it was the one shared on Snapchat with students, "But she refused to reveal any of her sources," BRG wrote.
"When Community Member #1 produced a photograph during her December 2024 email exchanges with the PPS Superintendent, she acknowledged in writing that she was not "sure if this is really the one (PHS Administrator #2) sent or if someone made it just now." She also acknowledged that her sources of information were community and social media discussions about the photograph, the Former Pittsfield Resident's Facebook Live streams and postings, and what she had learned from PHS Student #2, who had graduated from PHS in 2022," BRG wrote.
"Through her mother, PHS Student #2 informed us that she had no proof and only hearsay to support the information she had imparted to Community Member #1."
The firm said that, in large part, the information gathered was primarily second and third-hand accounts or "rumors that we were not able to substantiate."
"To the extent that we were able to learn the names of other current and former PHS students who once claimed to have personal knowledge of this genitalia photograph or who others claimed had proof of knowledge that PHS Administrator #2 allegedly shared with or sent to students a photograph of genitalia on Snapchat or through her other social media accounts, these individuals either failed to respond to our inquiries or we had insufficient information for us to contact them directly or through their family members," the report reads.
"The Former Pittsfield Resident did not provide contact information for or in some instances the names of her sources who she alleges have "firsthand" information."
On Wednesday, the School Committee voted to extend the agreement for a second time to May 13 due to information recently acquired that must be incorporated into documents.
On Tuesday, the City Council demanded that the School Committee release the findings of the independent investigation into staff misconduct at Pittsfield High School, adding that the current reports and any additional ones should be downloadable.
The petitioner, Councilor at Large Earl Persip III, explained that this was submitted before the executive summaries were released, but still, he has issues with them.
"No one can download it, it's on Google Docs, where someone on the back end can keep track of who's opening it. There's many things that are bothering me about it besides the actual information inside of it. Like I said, this petition was written before they did release something. I still personally would like to see the whole report. I know there's people in the community that want to see the whole report," he said.
"I know there's concern out there with using minors' names in the reports. I think the report can be released without minors' names in it."
Persip is "very flustered" about the situation.
"The lack of communication. The School Committee has still not responded to our last inquiry. We've asked to see the report. There's just so many things wrong with this," he said.
Several colleagues on the council agreed with Persip's sentiments and agreed that the summaries were insufficient.
Mayor Peter Marchetti reported that the school's legal counsel advised against releasing the report and, in response to the Secretary of State's conclusion that the burden to conceal information has not been met, school officials understand that they need a better explanation for keeping the record private or to release the report.
A couple of weeks ago, Marchetti made the motion to refer the report to the state for an in camera review.
"I mean, at this stage of the game, it doesn't matter, right? There's going to be reports, it's going to be redacted. That's not going to be good enough. If we put the whole thing out there, that's still not going to be good enough because the executive summary doesn't provide the answers that we're all looking for, and the report is not going to either, because the answer is, all of these accusations, claims have been unfounded. That's the bottom line," he said.
"So whatever gets put out there, that's what that's going to show, and so I think we're in between a rock and a hard place of where we're at. I continue to say that I'll stand with releasing as much as we can, but I'm not the lawyer, and when legal counsel gets permission, then that's what will happen."
Cameron said on Wednesday that school officials never promised the full release of documents; rather, "What was said was, we would release what we were legally able to release."
"That may be a distinction that's lost on some people, but that's what's the case. That's what, in fact, has been said at these public meetings by me and by the superintendent, by the mayor. It also is a matter of fact, although I'm a convenient Pinata for this, that the School Committee is, in fact, a collective body. There are seven members of the school committee, and at any time, any member of the School Committee could move to do exactly what people are demanding to be done, and nobody has done that, presumably because we're being advised against doing that by legal counsel," he said.
"Some people think following the advice of legal counsel is a bad idea, but that does not seem to be the prevailing opinion on the School Committee at the moment. Although, if anyone tonight, even though it would be out of order because it's not on the agenda, if anyone wants to make that motion, then by all means, go ahead and do so."
Ciara Batory, who filed the public records request and an appeal to the secretary of the commonwealth's Public Records Division after it was denied, spoke at open microphone during the City Council and School Committee meetings this week.
"When I purchase a book, I don't do it for the summary. I expect the full story. Likewise, when taxpayers' money funds an investigation, the public has every right to expect access to the full report, not a sanitized version chosen to protect the individuals involved. Your refusal to release the complete report despite your prior promises is not only a betrayal of public trust, it is an abuse of your position," she said to Cameron.
"You claim that legal constraints prevent you from releasing the documents, yet you seem far more interested in using those laws to shield adults from accountability than to protect the students this committee is meant to serve. Why not interpret those same laws in a way that prioritizes transparency, justice and the well-being of students? The truth is simple: you're not here to protect students. You're not here to protect, you are here to protect your peers, and that is unacceptable."
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