Bedford Central District School District's Board of Ed member, Jessica Cambareri’s suggestion, at the latest board meeting, to have BOCES students clean our schools is unthinkable.

During a time when everyone is working so hard to protect students, administration, staff and teachers, she suggests putting children in harm’s way. The flagrant discrimination against BOCES students, the majority receiving special education services, is appalling. The suggestion of exploiting students with disabilities and violating their civil rights is not only unbecoming of a member of our community, but unacceptable coming from a member of the board of education.
 
In the aftermath of her comments--on video for all to see and judge--she has not only defended her comments but she has doubled-down on her position. Her written response to members of the community express no remorse or contrition.
 
This is a time for unity, hyper-vigilance on the part of all parties with regard to the rights and well-being of our community. Those with disabilities have been dramatically impacted by this pandemic: lack of supports and insurmountable pressure on families and caregivers, and unreasonable demands on teachers. We don’t have time for a kerfuffle, a misstep or misguided ideas about what will propel our district and our community out of this situation. Jessica’s insensitivity and flagrant disregard for this community is a distraction we don’t need right now. She is a loose cannon we don’t have time to control. The board’s timely action on this topic is of the utmost importance to BCSD. We must move on from this, and as far away as possible from this kind of thinking. We have worked too hard to grow beyond such bias.
 
This is not the first insensitive and abusive statement made by Ms. Cambareri against those with disabilities. Whether conscious or unconscious, her ongoing discrimination and the fact that she could suggest that one group of students’ lives is more expendable is nothing less than repugnant.
 
The board and Dr. Adelberg were very clear in their vow to deal with the “significant issues that need to be addressed…fighting back against all racism and bigotry” during the June 17th and June 24th board meetings. Michael Bauscher’s clear and direct commitment to take action, particularly ‘on behalf of our most vulnerable students, instead of putting the burden on them’ suggests the board should never tolerate a transgression of this magnitude coming from one of its own.
 
Ms. Cambareri is not culturally sensitive enough to represent ALL students, families and taxpayers in this district. Please sign this petition and demand her resignation in the interest of keeping our district focused on education and the safety of all its members at this time, and have Jessica issue a very public apology recanting her suggestion of using students as custodians during COVID and admitting that it was highly offensive to our BOCES students and to those with disabilities.

Bedford Central School District Special Education Parent Teacher Organization