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Pittsfield leaders call special meeting over high school staff suspensions, legal issues

By Emma Quinn
From WRGB

Pittsfield leaders call special meeting over high school staff suspensions, legal issues

City leaders in Pittsfield have called for a special meeting Monday night after four staff members from Pittsfield High School have been put on leave.

There are now calls for an independent investigation.

"It's been a challenging year for everybody and a nightmare for some people. So, an independent analysis of the Pittsfield Public School system is probably, it's probably necessary to be able to move forward," said City Councilman Matthew Wrinn.

Earlier this month we told you about Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins arrested on federal drug charges.

The Berkshire Eagle first reported another dean of students, the school vice principal, and a former teacher who now works at the Berkshire Family YMCA were also put on administrative leave; but the district has not said why.

"It's just going to give us some transparency to what exactly is happening in our hiring processes, you know, what's happening behind the scenes with, you know, with punishments and things like that," said Wrinn.

RELATED: Pittsfield community demands accountability after high school dean's arrest

Dr. William Cameron, Chair of the School Committee said during last week's meeting; "if this has been going on for years and it's been known to staff members and no mandated reports have been filed then we have more problems than you're describing."

CBS6 reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to learn if they are investigating the district, but a spokesperson said they could not comment.

The state Department of Children and Family Services told CBS6 they received a report and are investigating but could not comment further.

A lawsuit has also been filed against a former teacher for sexual harassment against a student- here's what the student's attorney, Ryan McLane told CBS6 last week; "[He] frequently, talked about viewing pornography, talked about the students viewing pornography, talked about a strip club he worked at, tried to invite my client into a janitor's closet, essentially with him, and then he even put his hands on her."

Lavante Wiggins appeared in Pittsfield District Court this morning for several separate charges relating to driving with a suspended license and an unregistered vehicle.

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