WATERTOWN, MASS. (WHDH) - Watertown Public Schools has commissioned an independent administrative review following racially-motivated bullying incidents, officials announced Wednesday.
The review will include an analysis of the district’s response to recent incidents asserting claims of racially-motivated bullying and a complete review of the district’s bullying and disciplinary policies, according to Watertown Superintendent Dr. Dede Galdston.
“It is unacceptable for any member of our Watertown Public Schools community to feel unsafe or to feel unsupported when they have the courage to speak up. Recent events have given me significant pause, and while I do not believe the Watertown Public Schools is alone in responding to acts of hate and racism, it is simply not enough to say ‘we did our best’ or ‘we followed our usual policies.’ We must be willing to review our practices and procedures,” Galdston said in a statement.
Dr. John Dristiliaris has been retained to construct a timeline and analyze the district’s response to recent incidents, while Dr. Claudia Rinaldi has been called upon to conduct a complete review of policies and procedures related to diversity, bullying and student discipline.
“We must look deeply within ourselves and within our policies to learn how we can better ensure that we are fostering a safe and nurturing education community for all. With that in mind, we are committed to a thorough finding of fact and we will carefully review and consider the recommendations of the outside experts,” Galdston.
School officials did not provide specific details on the nature of the apparent incidents.
The district will be provided a comprehensive report at the conclusion of the administrative review process, which is expected to last between 60 and 90 days.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)