Tewksbury School Committee Expels Union Head, Others From Meeting

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury School Committee expelled the teachers union president and dozens of other union members and supporters from their meeting Wednesday as the union advocated for a contract during the meeting.

School Committee Chair Keith Sullivan had Tewksbury Teachers Association President Conner Bourgoin thrown out of the meeting when he attempted to speak after the Citizen's Forum section of the meeting had ended. The union members and supporters in attendance were also expelled by police present as protested on Bourgoin's behalf.

"Let him speak," they chanted.

Committee Member Nick Parsons also walked out after the expulsions.

The expulsions followed multiple adjournments of the meeting and a raucous Citizen's Forum period, where attendees and Sullivan argued over whether he could limit discussion to items on the agenda.

Members rallied at the high school ahead of the meeting as part of an ongoing contract battle; the union has been working under an expired contract since the beginning of the school year.

During the Citizen's Forum, Sullivan initially attempted to stop the union members and supporters from speaking, as the contract negotiations were not an agenda item. But he eventually allowed a number to speak, most loosely connecting the contract to next year's budget, which was presented at the meeting.

The committee also planned to review the rules on public comment periods ahead of the next meeting.

The union and their supporters held signs reading, "Fair Contract Now" and called on the committee members to spend a day shadowing elementary school teachers. One of the sticking points in the negotiations is the district's request for elementary school teachers to have lunch duty.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.