February 11, 2022 --
To the Medfield Community,
During the public comment portion of last night’s School Committee meeting, a district employee spoke before the Committee and made a comment that suggested that she agreed with a previous speaker who claimed that young children wearing masks for prolonged periods of time could “create a generation of children with autism.”
The Medfield Public Schools and the Medfield School Committee vehemently disagree with this statement and other unsubstantiated claims that are not supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
While the employee reports that they misspoke and did not intend to agree with the statement, this type of commentary has no place in our district or our community. District leaders have addressed the situation with the employee today. The School Committee and the District Administration acknowledge and share the pain that a statement like this may cause for families in our community.
For further information on Autism Spectrum Disorders, please follow this link to a fact sheet about Autism Spectrum Disorders from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Sincerely,
The Medfield School Committee
Jessica Reilly, Chair
Leo Brehm, Vice Chair
Timothy Knight
Meghan Glenn
Anna Mae O’Shea Brooke
Jeffrey Marsden, Superintendent of Schools