PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — The Pawtucket School Committee responded Monday to the lawsuit filed by Superintendent Patricia Royal. Royal filed the suit in federal court, claiming the school district interfered in her contract. The lawsuit was submitted by Royal on March 26 against the Pawtucket Sc hool Committee, School District Administrators, the City of Pawtucket, and others. She is currently on administrative leave from her position at the Pawtucket School Department. Royal said in the lawsuit that false statements published by the defendants impacted her career and vocation. In response to the lawsuit, the Chair of the Pawtucket School Committee Omar Reyes shared a statement on behalf of the school committee. In the response, he said the school committee “adhered to Pawtucket Public Schools Policy, aligned with state law,” and that the committee will “vigorously defend against any claims that unfairly attack our integrity and misrepresent that goals and purposes of any of our interactions with Mrs. Royal.” Notably, Reyes said “we believe that the children of Pawtucket deserve the best schools possible, and we will not be distracted from our mission by a randomly assembled narrative of dubious allegations and legal claims.” In response, Royal’s attorney, Page Munro-Delotto said the allegations are “backed by extensive evidence” in the 101-page complaint. On Monday, Royal responded to Reyes’ statement, and said in part, “The School Committee’s claims of prioritizing educational excellence ring hollow in light of their actions, including engaging in unfair practices during a pivotal time. Their attempt to distract from their shortcomings is transparent, and I will not allow their misleading assertions to tarnish my reputation any further.” Omar Reyes shared the following full statement: “A widely publicized Complaint has been filed in Rhode Island Federal District Court by Patricia Royal against members of the Pawtucket School Committee, School District Administrators, Mayor Grebien, and members of his Administration. The Pawtucket School Committee has adhered to Pawtucket Public Schools Policy, aligned with state law, by not issuing statements individually; but we will now issue a statement through Chair Omar Reyes after we have had the opportunity to convene and discuss the complaint. Mrs. Royal has chosen to file this complaint while the Pawtucket Public Schools is in the middle of historic School Construction Projects involving the almost completed Baldwin Elementary School and the very beginning of the construction of our Unified High School Campus. At the same time, we are facing unprecedented challenges involving raising our proficiency scores throughout the District and addressing the RIDE designation of four Pawtucket Public Schools as entering Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) status: Charles E. Shea High School; and Joseph Jenk Middle School; and Lyman B. Goff Middle School; and William E. Tolman High School. Additionally, RIDE is requiring Samuel Slater Middle School to engage in the School Redesign process because it has been in CSI status for four (4) consecutive years. Overall 47 percent of public school students in Pawtucket attend a school with the CSI designation. This committee is unified in its dedication to do everything it can to address these matters on behalf of our students and families. Every action taken by the Committee has been focused on establishing excellence in every aspect of the education that we are committed to bringing to Pawtucket students and families. We believe that the children of Pawtucket deserve the best schools possible, and we will not be distracted from our mission by a randomly assembled narrative of dubious allegations and legal claims. Nevertheless, through our legal counsel, we will vigorously defend against any claims that unfairly attack our integrity and misrepresent the goals and purposes of any of our interactions with Mrs. Royal. Our passion is our students, and we will continue working on their behalf.” Patricia Royal shared the following statement: “This is a reaction to the statement issued by Omar Reyes on behalf of the Pawtucket School Committee. When I was hired, the district faced unprecedented challenges in raising proficiency scores since 2018. During my brief tenure and despite the forms of interference alleged in my complaint, we significantly improved math and science proficiency, increased graduation rates from 69% to 72%, and reduced chronic absenteeism by 3%. To suggest otherwise not only misrepresents the facts but also disregards the hard work and dedication of the educators and students of Pawtucket. The School Committee’s claims of prioritizing educational excellence ring hollow in light of their actions, including engaging in unfair practices during a pivotal time. Their attempt to distract from their shortcomings is transparent, and I will not allow their misleading assertions to tarnish my reputation any further. I am committed to fighting for justice for myself and everyone who has faced injustices within the Pawtucket education system. The children of this community deserve better, and I will not back down until fairness and integrity are restored.” Categories: News, Pawtucket, Rhode Island ...read more read less