'Error In Judgment': Ex-Worcester Principal Accused Of Abuse Invited To Read To Students

WORCESTER, MA — A former Worcester principal and school committee member accused by a former student of sexual assault was invited to read to elementary school students last week, outraging parents and prompting the district to review policies around who can volunteer in city schools.

Midland Elementary School Principal Christina Guertin told parents in an email Wednesday she invited John Monfredo, the former Belmont Street Community School principal, to a reading event on Friday. In October, Heather Prunier, a Worcester student who Monfredo coached in softball, accused him of assault in an article published by Worcester Sucks. The allegations have been public since the 1990s, and Monfredo has denied Prunier's accusations.

"The individual was not criminally convicted of wrongdoing, but information that was shared in news reports last fall raised understandable concerns," Guertin's email said, referring to the Prunier article. "First, I would like to apologize for allowing this person to read to our students. It was an error in judgment due to my lack of information. Second, please know that the safety and security of your children is always our top priority."

Monfredo has been a longtime literacy advocate in Worcester, and founded the nearly 20-year-old City That Reads book drive. Abuse allegations against him have been detailed in multiple news articles dating back to the 1990s, when the Worcester Telegram reported Monfredo had been placed on leave due to a police probe. He returned to his role as principal in April 1997, and has said he was cleared in that investigation. In an email, Monfredo said the incident was upsetting for his family.

Guertin was an assistant principal at the Belmont Street Community School around the time Monfredo retired in 2004. The reading event at Midland was a celebration of Read Across America day.

Monfredo has been a major figure in Worcester political circles for years. He was a school committee member for 16 years until 2021, and campaigned in 2023 for former superintendent Maureen Binienda in her successful bid for an at-large school committee seat. He also served on the Mayor’s Commission on Latino Advancement and Education until 2019.

Parents at Midland said his invitation to read at the school was a shock because of recently Prunier stepped forward to tell her story. One Midland parent whose child has been the victim of sexual abuse found out about the Monfredo reading on Wednesday. She said the accusations against Monfredo are "pretty widely known."

"You expect you’re sending your child somewhere safe, and the adults around them are safe people," the parent, who asked for anonymity to protect her child, said. "I think it’s honestly negligent to invite someone who has even a question of safety concerns into the school community."

In her email, Guertin told parents the incident has prompted the district to review policies for school volunteers, and said Monfredo was never alone with any students. After the Worcester Sucks article, School Committee member Sue Mailman asked for a review of the district's volunteer policies because Monfredo was still a fixture in schools through his literacy work. The committee voted to send the item to the Finance, Operations and Governance committee for further discussion.

"Here at Midland, we will absolutely review the name of every volunteer moving forward with district administration to ensure such an incident does not happen again," the email said. "Above all, please know that the Midland Street School is a safe and welcoming environment for all students. Safety will always be our top priority."