The Franklin, Massachusetts public schools superintendent is responding to homophobic parents attacking a gay student during a televised schools committee meeting.
Noting her “heavy heart and sincere anger,” Superintendent Sara Ahern in a 3-page letter to parents denounced the “conduct, tone, and disruption by some members of the audience” as “appalling and a violation of Franklin Public Schools’ core values of a safe and inclusive environment.” During Tuesday night’s meeting student representative Mackenzie Atwood (photo), a senior at Franklin High School, tried to address the topic of “protected classes,” including LGBTQ people, minorities, and people’s religious beliefs.