3 Barnstable High Educators On Leave After Students Left Behind On Boston Prom Dress Trip

BARNSTABLE, MA — The shirts were unavoidable at a recent Barnstable School Committee meeting, with roughly 100 people donning them in support of two educators.

"I want to notice that there are numerous people wearing t-shirts in the room and clearly we have a lot of people in tonight's audience in support of the Taylors," said Superintendent Sara Ahern.

"Any educator, I think, would be honored to be receiving such an outpouring of support from the community."

So who are the Taylors, and why were they receiving that support?

Alik Taylor and Hope Taylor have been working at Barnstable High School since the 1990s in various roles. Both of them, as well as Raffaella Almeida, were placed on leave recently after two students were left in Boston after a Belle of the Ball prom dress event.

Alik Taylor is the Project Excel and Dual Enrollment Program Director at the high school, Hope Taylor is an associate principal and Almedia is a guidance counselor.

According to School Committee member Andre King, the trio took 22 students to Boston via school bus while three students also drove themselves. The Boston trip happens annually, as Hope Taylor leads a prom dress drive for students locally to fund the trip.

When the bus returned to Barnstable, however, two students were left behind. They were called in to speak with Principal Elizabeth Freedman the following Monday, King said, when they were informed an investigation would begin and they'd be placed on leave.

Ahern noted that she received personal letters and statements in support of the duo and has responded to them. However, she noted that the meeting that, legally, there was little she could share about the process, something she called an "ongoing personnel matter."

King said Ahern initially recommended dismissal for all three administrators, though added there will be a future meeting between them and the district.

Multiple community members and school employees spoke in defense of the Taylors and Almedia, including some who believed punishment — but not dismissal — was warranted.

Arianna Roberts is an older sister of one of the girls left behind in Boston. She said it was "unacceptable" that the two students were left behind, but said firing would be damaging to many.

"There's a way to remedy this with compassion, training and a way to not hurt the community," she said.

Find the full meeting below: