Schools

Lichtenstein Responds to Ash's Statements

The following statement was provided by Bill Lichtenstein, the former Lexington resident who claims his then-5-year-old daughter was mistreated while a kindergartener in the Lexington Public Schools.


In Travis Andersen's article in today's Boston Globe (9/11/2012), Lexington school superintendent Dr. Paul Ash supposedly "rebuked" and the case of my daughter Rose. But he failed to dispute any of the facts. His claim: no one did anything wrong.

Below are the documents from the administrative action in [Lichtenstein's daughter's] case that resulted in the settlement. They were handled by our attorney, and the charges made in them were based on Lexington Public School's records, files and depositions with school staff. I defy anyone to read them, particularly the 20-page "Parents Proposed Findings of Fact and Rulings of Law," which details what happened to [her] and the underlying legal issues in that matter, and say that what happened here was anything less than unconscionable. It was not.

Furthermore, the Boston Globe article got the settlement information wrong. As is contained in the settlement documents posted below, there was a $125,000 settlement as well as payments of $67,075 annually for three years to cover the cost of Rose's placement in a therapeutic school or treatment at home, and $6,687 annually for three years for transportation. The total paid by Lexington in the settlement was $346,286. Would Lexington Superintendent Dr. Paul Ash have us believe that this kind of settlement, including therapeutic treatment for Rose, was, as he told the Boston Globe "a customary step when parents are seeking placement outside of the school district, which did not admit to any wrongdoing in the case?"

There is clearly a need for a full vetting and investigation of what happened to [Lichtenstein's daughter] and possibly, as we were told by school staff at the time, other children who may have been placed in the seclusion room, as well. You can see the on Patch.com and as PDFs above.

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