Katherine Stathulis, Esq. v. Lexington, Town of - Public Schools (SPR 20230895)

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records May 12, 2023 SPR23/0895 Christine Lyons, M.Ed., PhD Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Staff Support Lexington Public Schools 146 Maple Street Lexington, MA 02420 Dear Dr. Lyons: I have received the petition of Katherine Stathulis, Esq., of Center for Public Interest, Advocacy, and Collaboration of Northeastern University School of Law, appealing the nonresponse of the Lexington Public Schools (School) to a request for public records. G. L. c. 66, § 10A; see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). On February 22, 2023, Attorney Stathulis requested the following records: 1. An extract of your records management system or database that includes each school- related arrest and each referral to law enforcement conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced). Specifically, we request an extract of the database to include the following columns: a. Date of arrest or referral to law enforcement b. Time of arrest or referral to law enforcement c. Charge (or charges) d. Whether the individual(s) was arrested or referred to law enforcement e. Sex of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement f. Age of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement g. Race of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement h. Ethnicity of individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement i. Disability status of the individual(s) arrested or referred to law enforcement j. Whether the individual arrested or referred to law enforcement is a student at the school. k. Name of arresting officer, if applicable, and l. Badge number of the arresting officer or the officer that referred the youth to law enforcement, as applicable. One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914 sec.state.ma.us/pre • pre@sec.state.ma.us

Christine Lyons SPR23/0895 Page 2 May 12, 2023 2. If such an extract of the database in question 1 is not possible, please provide school incident reports on each school-related arrest and referral to law enforcement conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school year (up until the day the records are produced). 3. A copy of any active standard operating procedures developed with the police department and/or other law enforcement agencies regarding police placement or activity in your corresponding school;12 and, 4. Any records instructing or informing police personnel of, or otherwise describing data reporting requirements and procedures for complying with G.L. c. 71 § 37P(b). 5. The cost to the school district of assigning a school resource officer to each school; and, 6. The total number of school resource officers and total number of guidance counselors for each school in your district for school years 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and, 7. The total number and a brief description of 911 calls from schools in your district to local police departments conducted during the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, and, 8. A description of the proposed budget for mental, social, or emotional health support personnel for the school district. Claiming to not yet have received a response, Attorney Stathulis petitioned this office and this appeal, SPR23/0895, was opened as a result. Subsequently, I learned that a representative from the School intends on providing a written response to Attorney Stathulis. Accordingly, the School is ordered to provide Attorney Stathulis with a response in accordance with the Public Records Law, its Regulations and this order within ten business days. A copy of any such response must be provided to this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of this response to this office at pre@sec.state.ma.us. Attorney Stathulis may appeal the substantive nature of the School’s response within ninety days. See 950 C.M.R. 32.08(1). Sincerely, Manza Arthur Supervisor of Records cc: Katherine Stathulis, Esq.