US MA: COMMITTEE MIXED ON DRUG POLICY

FALL RIVER -- At the urging of Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr., the
School Committee directed Superintendent Nicholas A. Fischer to
recommend a policy that will direct the School Department on how to
handle issues of substance abuse within the district.

Lambert, who serves as the committee chairman, called for the move
following the revelation last week that former Slade School Principal
Frederick L. Cippolini admitted to police in October that he was a
habitual crack cocaine user. Since his admission, Cippolini has been
placed on leave with pay and is scheduled to retire in June.

Lambert also initially asked for an interim policy to be put in place
that would remove any person who is in a position of direct
supervision of children and is found to be abusing controlled
substances. That policy, however, failed to gain the support of the
rest of the committee.

The call for a definitive policy was made despite Fischer's response
that substance abuse situations need to be dealt with case by case.

But Lambert said his first concern was the safety of the children at
the schools.

"I respect the need for confidentiality, but you have to balance the
rights of an individual with the needs and the right to safety of
students under that person's care," Lambert said. "I'm not suggesting
that a person be terminated, but removed while dealing with an active
addiction of controlled substances."

Voting against Lambert's motion were committee members Kevin Aguiar
and Marilyn M. Roderick. Aguiar said he was pleased with the way
Fischer handled the Cippolini case and said he would have no problem
staying with the "status quo" in leaving the superintendent to deal
with similar situations as he feels fit.

"I know in the future you'll do what you have to do to keep the kids
safe, and that's why I'm comfortable with keeping this as the status
quo," Aguiar said.

Lambert responded by saying that the lack of a written policy could
lead to trouble, and said such a policy could be one of the most
important the committee has ever approved.

"If adopted, this could be one of the most important policies we
adopt for the safety of children," Lambert said. "It's incumbent upon
us to protect the system and have a uniform way to deal with this
type of situation."

If a policy were developed, Fischer said, he would be concerned that
employees would be less likely to admit to a problem and therefore be
less likely to take part in assistance programs offered by the School
Department. He added that a policy would not protect the school
system to the effect that using administrative judgment would.

He assured the committee, though, that he would use his best judgment
in keeping students safe.

"If on any given day someone walks into a school impaired and a
principal lets them in the classroom, I will fire that principal,"
Fischer said.

He added that it is also important that school administrators be
taught to recognize substance abuse.

While the motion did pass, it was also noted that Fischer could
decide to come back with the recommendation that each case be left to
the judgment of the superintendent.