Community members say they're angered Boston Public School officials have not told parents and students more about the actions of a Madison Park High School administrator who was fired for allegedly having unauthorized sexual content on his work laptop.
That administrator, who GBH News has learned is Matthew Dugan, allegedly downloaded images from students' social media accounts before being suspended more than three weeks ago.
Friends of Madison Park member Louis Elisa said families were given minimal details of an unidentified staffer's termination, and even that notice took weeks to arrive.
"Why wasn't the community, the Black parents, and Latino parents, informed of what the situation was, whether or not their children were at risk, (or) something in their personal lives was being exposed?" he asked.
Elisa said Dugan was confronted by district officials in his office earlier this month after only three weeks on the job as Madison Park's assistant head of school.
He said that's when Dugan threw his laptop on the floor and stomped on it in an attempt to destroy it. Elisa said Mark Racine, chief information officer for the district, was one of the officials who then escorted Dugan out of the building in front of students and staff.
When asked about the response to parents and Dugan's termination, a spokesman for the Boston Public Schools said he could not comment because the matter is under police investigation.
GBH News has learned that when IT staff reviewed the contents of the laptop, which Dugan did not manage to destroy, they found material that caused them to immediately turn it over to police.
No arrests have been made, according to Boston Police, who declined to say if the case is under investigation.
Boston public school officials sent a letter to Madison Park families the day before Thanksgiving informing them that an unidentified staff member had been terminated. It said they could not release further details due to a criminal investigation.
Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia said she has also been fielding calls and questions from Madison Park parents who she described as desperate for more information.
"We should always have an accurate and full disclosure about things that are happening in our schools — and being in the dark is a concern for me," she said. "I think that the district really needs to think about their communication strategy and how they not only inform families, but also think about the care and concern for those who are worried about what could have happened to their child."
