Rochester Memorial School parent calls for recall of School Committee
Luis Rivera speaks at a June 3 Rochester School Committee meeting. Photo by Grace Roche
Luis Rivera speaks at a June 3 Rochester School Committee meeting. Photo by Grace Roche
ROCHESTER — The parent of a Rochester Memorial School student is calling for a recall of the five members of the school committee.
Luis Rivera has filed a recall petition for the committee members and is currently collecting signatures from Rochester voters.
This move follows Rivera’s frustration over how the school handled an incident earlier this year, when he reported a transgender girl pushed open the door of the bathroom stall his daughter was in.
He attended two School Committee meetings in May and June to ask the school for a full investigation of the incident, and said he was concerned about school policies that allowed the transgender student to use the girl’s bathroom.
Massachusetts general law prohibits discriminating against students based on protected identities, including gender identity, and excluding them from "the advantages, privileges and courses of study” their school offers.
According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, schools are also required to provide transgender students access to the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
It is also against state law to disclose student records, including disciplinary actions, to the public.
Rivera has also filed a filed a complaint under the federal Title IX statute against the Old Rochester Regional School District last week, with a letter filed by his lawyer to the district claiming his 9-year-old daughter is the victim of sexual harassment.
