After Worcester NAACP calls for Board of Health Chair Edith Claros to resign, city manager says he will not m - MassLive.com

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Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. will not ask for the city’s Board of Health chair Edith Claros to step down following allegations she is an “impediment” to police reform.

“These have been unprecedented times for our City and the Nation, with a heightened sense of urgency to address the concerns and needs of all our citizens, especially people of color. I appreciate the deliberation and discussion the Board of Health has brought to this issue, and I know there are strong differences of opinions among some board members. I believe having these diverse voices is crucial to thoughtful discourse. We may not always agree, but the people appointed to the Board of Health each bring with them skills and qualities necessary to address the complex public health issues facing our City," Augustus said in a statement.

“With that said, I do not plan on making any changes to the current make-up of the Board of Health. I encourage all members to continue their service, and to remain focused on the health needs of the people of Worcester,” Augustus continued.

Board of Health members are appointed by City Hall. The Worcester branch of the NAACP on Thursday released a statement calling on Claros to resign after emails showed city employees discussing and ultimately deciding not to have a period for public comment before an August Board of Health meeting, which had racism and police bias as topics on the agenda.

This comes a day after the local branch of the NAACP called Claros an “impediment” to any discussion of systemic racism within the Worcester Police Department.

“For this reason, we ask for her immediate resignation and ask that the original call for the Board of Health to hold a public hearing to address systemic racism within the Police Department be restored,” the Worcester branch said in a statement.

The NAACP cited emails, which have since been obtained by MassLive, showing conversations including Worcester Division of Public Health Director Karyn Clark, members of the police department and City Solicitor Michael Traynor about whether public comment would be allowed as the Board of Health planned to discuss recommendations put forth by board member David Fort about racism, police bias and discrimination.

One email from Clark read, in part, “[Claros] is not interested in a PD berating as recently done at [City Council] meetings.”

After George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis in May, sparking protests and tense conversations and race and justice in America, hundreds of residents called in to Worcester City Council meetings, showing support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Many also made pleas for the council to defund a budget increase for the Worcester Police Department, instead asking for that funding to be diverted to community resources. The budget increase was approved.

Considering whether to allow public comment on Aug. 24, Traynor wrote in an email that the Board of Health did not need to have a period of public comment because reviewing Worcester police policies or adopting new policies is not part of the board’s authority.

“The Board’s conduct of a public hearing for the purpose of reviewing the Worcester Police Department’s existing policies or to urge adoption of new policies is no more germane to the Board’s role and authority than if a planning board were to hold a public hearing to discuss proposed changes to Title V of the state Sanitary Code. Boards and commissions should not, and cannot, hold public forums and seek to act on matters that they are not legally empowered to oversee or regulate,” Traynor wrote.

"While structural racism and institutional bias are recognized as public health issues, the Board’s reaction to these issues does not extend to a public review of the Worcester Police Department’s or any other city department’s operations, Traynor continued.

Earlier this month, four of the five members of the board of health voted “no confidence” in Claros.

At that Oct. 5 meeting, Claros said she doesn’t feel respected by some members of the board.

“I feel bullied by the members of this board and it saddens me because I think that we’re all in this together,” she said. “We don’t always have to agree. I think that I agree with respect.”

Claros was first appointed to the board in 2015 and her term ends this December, according to the city website.

A board chair has the discretion to allow public comment, or not, on an agenda item. Worcester’s Board of Health is an executive board. Such boards establish policy for city departments and supervise departmental operations through an executive officer who is the administrative head of a city agency. The city manager appoints all members without the need for Worcester City Council confirmation.

In another email exchange, Clark wrote to Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent that she was disappointed the board was adding to everything on the department’s plate.

“This has really gotten out of hand and [Worcester Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh] and I are horrified. This is not how people come together if they want real dialog. We have so much going on with the pandemic, all of this has taken up a lot of energy,” Clark wrote. “These are important topics – of course – and we need to talk about them as a community…but their approach to this set the tone. I just want you to know that we support you and will do what we can to continue that.”

In an email, Sargent wrote, “I personally don’t care either way community involvement or no community involvement.”

Some members of the police department sent emails, upset about public comment and the order of agenda items.

Deputy Police Chief Edward McGinn wrote, “Covid last on the agenda. High priorities clearly. Lead the cops to slaughter then discuss the virus crisis of our lifetimes."

Clark responded in an email that she was trying to be courteous.

“I put COVID on toward the end so that you could get on and off and not have to be on a 3 hour call,” she wrote.

In an email to Sgt. Richard Cipro, the president of the IBPO 504 union, Clark wrote that Claros was not going to take public comment at the Aug. 24 meeting and planned to announce that at the beginning of the meeting.

Deputy Police Chief Sean Fleming wrote, “May we suggest that all the other City meetings including the City Council adopt the same posture in disallowing meaningless public comment.”

An email from Clark also indicates she removed an agenda item from the Aug. 24 meeting that was titled “Discussion on the uptick of violence.”

“Although Dr. Hirsh asked about talking about this ‐ on our smaller call a couple weeks back ‐ given that the chief would be on the phone, I am hearing concerns about the sensitivity about this topic and thought it best to take it off. The city clerk was notified and it will be updated this evening,” Clark wrote.

Email exchanges also indicate that members of the Board of Health have broken open meeting law, according to a message sent to board members and other city employees by Clark in June, as the board was first preparing to take up Fort’s recommendations.

“Please be advised that these email threads are in violation of the open meeting law,” Clark wrote. “The board cannot deliberate on any items outside of a board meeting. I would caution you all to refrain from utilizing group emails to discuss matters that can only be discussed with a quorum as this violates Robert’s rules. Please speak to Edith as the chair directly as to avoid this moving forward. Thank you.”

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