Woman That Signed Controversial 'Safety Plans' Up For Peabody Job

PEABODY, MA — North Andover High Assistant Principal Brooke Randall is one of four finalists for the principal's job at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. Randall was the official that signed controversial "safety plans" this spring that came to light in March after a student was arrested and accused of raping a New Hampshire girl twice in one day. North Andover Public Schools eventually rescinded the use of the plans.

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt, who sits on the school committee, and Superintendent Cara Murtagh interviewed the four finalists in August. The opening was created in July when Eric Buckley unexpectedly resigned after six years on the job.

In North Andover, parents and students have demanded an apology from Randall and other school officials. At least three students in the school accused Eliezer Tuttle, 18, of sexual assault before he was arrested by police in New Hampshire in February. Following the accusations by the three North Andover girls, Tuttle was allowed to return to school. Administrators asked victims sign "safety plans" that limited their movements around the school to limit contact with Tuttle. The plans called for disciplinary action if the victims had contact with Tuttle.

School officials were first notified that Tuttle had been accused of a sexual assault when a then 15-year-old student at the school went to police and told them Tuttle had raped her in October 2017. Tuttle was never prosecuted in the 2017 case because prosecutors thought the victim was "too fragile to testify."

Then in March of last year, another student was attacked by Tuttle in his car. The victim, according to an affidavit, fought Tuttle off when he forcibly tried to take her clothes off and climbed on top of her. A third victim has also come forward and has said she had to enroll in night school to graduate after meeting the requirements of the plan became too burdensome.

The March 2018 case was continued without a finding until Tuttle's 19th birthday. Such rulings are often given to first-time offenders. While Tuttle effectively admitted that a jury would find him guilty if the case went to trial, the continuation without a finding meant the incident would have been erased from his record had he stayed out of trouble.

School officials asked the victim in that case refused to sign a safety action plan when Tuttle was allowed to return to school. She said she refused when she learned she would face disciplinary action if she violated the stipulations laid out in the plan.