Union president, schools chief, mayor to meet on abuse allegations

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth K. Calabro, Mayor Jorge Elorza and Schools Supt. Christopher N. Maher have agreed to meet Monday to resolve what Calabro calls an untenable situation in classrooms.

The union president on Friday said six teachers — including three in one school — were placed on administrative leave for alleged misconduct with students.

"I'm at my wit's end," Calabro said. "Teachers are afraid for their livelihood. I have kids taunting them by saying, 'I can get rid of you.' "

Roughly 50 teachers and administrators have been placed on administrative leave this fall due to a crackdown on reporting allegations of abuse to the Department of Children, Youth and Families, though most have been cleared of wrongdoing. Both Superintendent Christopher Maher and School Board President Nicholas Hemond have said that there is a problem with defining what constitutes reasonable suspicion for reporting to DCYF. DCYF leaders have said that the number of allegations reported by Providence has greatly increased this fall, making it difficult to keep up with reviewing the allegations.

Efforts to reach Hemond were unsuccessful, and a spokeswoman for Maher said she would try to get back to The Journal on Saturday.