MELROSE, MA — Mayor Paul Brodeur has called for a return to civil discourse and rebuked personal attacks against the superintendent in the wake of increasingly hostile backlash toward her decision to deemphasize Halloween in the district.
In a statement released Wednesday, Brodeur said that while people can disagree on educational issues, "the passion, professionalism, and commitment of Dr. [Julie] Kukenberger and her leadership deserve our respect. Our debates should reflect that."
Brodeur, who has himself been the target of online harassment and doxxing attempts since taking office, hit back against similar attacks toward Kukenberger.
"The personal attacks on Dr. Kukenberger and the use of photos of her family are simply wrong and need to stop - whether they come from within Melrose or from outside our community," he said.
Brodeur didn't weigh in on the district moving away from Halloween, but made it clear he feels those decisions are being made by the right people.
He concluded by calling for cooler heads to prevail.
"So by all means, let's renew our commitment to focus on how we can do best by all our kids, but let's take down the temperature and make sure our conversations are respectful, informed, and substantive," Brodeur said.
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Read Brodeur's full statement below:
One of the things I have always loved about our community is our ability to have civil discourse on the issues of the day. In fact, former Mayor Patrick Guerriero made national news back in the 1990s by promoting civility as a Melrose value. We all have opinions, many of them strongly held, and have every right and responsibility to share them. We will sometimes disagree. But how we express ourselves and how we move forward are critical to our civic fabric and the future of our community.
Personal attacks do not have a place in our public conversations. Especially in the social media age, words and actions can have far-reaching consequences. Nobody – certainly not our educators and especially not their families – deserves to be targeted. As a community, we pride ourselves on being "One Community Open to All." We cannot afford to abandon these values.
When it comes to our schools, I believe that our community wants to create an environment where every student can succeed to the best of their ability. Decisions about how to spend classroom time are made by our superintendent and principals, people who I know care deeply about the academic and social growth of all of our students. I am not saying that folks cannot question those decisions or disagree; rather I am saying that the passion, professionalism, and commitment of Dr. Kukenberger and her leadership deserve our respect. Our debates should reflect that. The personal attacks on Dr. Kukenberger and the use of photos of her family are simply wrong and need to stop - whether they come from within Melrose or from outside our community.
So by all means, let's renew our commitment to focus on how we can do best by all our kids, but let's take down the temperature and make sure our conversations are respectful, informed, and substantive.
"discourse" - Google News
October 29, 2021 at 12:02PM
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Mayor Calls For Return To Civil Discourse In Wake Of Controversy - Patch.com
"discourse" - Google News
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