Was Fall River City Councilor Linda Pereira cleared of political interference against Veteran agent Talos Farris? Let’s review the report

Fall River Reporter has obtained the results of the human resource investigation into Fall River City Councilor Linda Pereira – accused of political interference by Fall River Veterans Agent Talos Farris.

In September 2025, Talos Farris, the Director of Veterans Services for Fall River, publicly accused an unnamed elected official of political interference during a City Council meeting. Farris alleged repeated efforts to undermine his role, including delays in fair contract negotiations and pushes for his removal over a 14-month period. He described these actions as driven by “personal agendas” rather than the best interests of veterans or efficient city operations. The City Council responded unanimously by calling for a formal investigation into the claims.

Farris later specifically identified Councilor Linda Pereira as the official in question. Pereira, who chaired the relevant committee overseeing such matters and controlled its agenda, had been linked to the handling of Farris’s contract, which reportedly remained stalled for nearly a year. The city’s Human Resources director confirmed that an independent investigator would handle the matter as a personnel issue, with expectations of full cooperation from involved elected officials.

Fall River Reporter obtained the results of that investigation lead by HR Solutions At Work.

First, is the letter City Council President Cliff Ponte sent to City of Fall River’s Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey and Director of Human Resources Nicholas Macolini detailing how Talos Farris handed him a folder containing the results of the investigation. This happened after councilor Pereira revealed that the investigation cleared her of any wrongdoing.

A few things stand out.

First, seven people were interviewed, and 10 hours were spent investigating. None of those interviewed were named. Fall River is rarely fully transparent in their investigations, so this isn’t surprising that all the names and most of the details were withheld.

Second, the investigation states there is insufficient evidence that Pereira acted based on race. Did Farris make accusations of political interference based on race? Again, we aren’t allowed to see the claims Farris made, but the investigation speaks to it. If so, this isn’t the first time Pereira has dealt with a controversy dealing with race. In 1996, Pereira was fired from the Department of Social Services for reportedly making a racist joke in front of Fall River politicians.

The Linda M. Pereira v. Commissioner of Social Services decision (decided August 9, 2000), reports that Linda Pereira, a then long-time protective investigator for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS) with an otherwise clean record, was fired after telling an offensive racist “joke” at a private testimonial dinner for retiring Fall River city councilors in February 1996. The event was a political gathering attended by city officials and community leaders. The remark was reported in the press the next day (along with other comments she made), sparking public outrage, numerous complaints to DSS, and reports that the agency’s workers faced barriers accessing clients’ homes due to perceived racial bias. DSS placed her on leave, conducted an investigation and hearing, and terminated her employment, concluding that the comment undermined the department’s mission of impartial child protection services and eroded public trust

According to The SouthCoast Today:

At the dinner Monday for former city councilors, Ms. Pereira said she was defeated in her bid for re-election in the fall because of election fraud and ballot tampering and complained that people of Portuguese descent were subject to discrimination, according to more than a dozen witnesses. The witnesses told the Herald News of Fall River that Ms. Pereira also made a racist joke about black people.

City department heads, executives of independent organizations and other city councilors and their staff were present at the dinner at Magoni’s Restaurant. School Superintendent James Gibney and Mark Sullivan, executive director of Citizens for Citizens, confirmed that they walked out while Ms. Pereira still was speaking. Former City Clerk Joseph Doran stood up after the speech and publicly upbraided her, witnesses said.

The joke Pereira reportedly told? Per Linda M. Pereira v. Commissioner of Social Services: The parties stipulate that Pereira said: “Why do black people have sex on their minds? Because they have pubic hair on their heads.”

Pereira sued under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and state law, claiming the termination violated her First Amendment rights. A Superior Court judge granted her partial summary judgment, finding a constitutional violation and ordering reinstatement with back pay (while denying qualified immunity to the commissioner). The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court later reversed, holding that her alleged off-duty, off-the-cuff racist remark was not speech on a “matter of public concern” under Connick v. Myers and thus received no special First Amendment protection. The court found Pereira’s interest in the “stupid,” “racist,” and “unthinking” statement to be minimal, while DSS’s interest in maintaining effectiveness, impartiality, and community confidence in sensitive investigations was compelling—especially given the objective harm caused by the publicity. The SJC entered judgment for the defendants, upholding the termination.

Now, let’s go back to the report.

This statement says a lot, without saying much: “With respect to non-race related allegations, credible information gathered during the investigation regarding statements made by Pereira about Farris was limited and conflicting. Accordingly, investigators had insufficient information to conclude whether such statements were made.”

The key point: “statements made by Pereira about Farris was limited and conflicting and investigators had insufficient information to conclude whether such statements were made.” Each of us will have to translate what that means.

The report concludes: “While some of the facts alleged were substantiated, they do not support a finding that Pereira violated Farris’s rights or workplace policy.” The investigator fails to tell us which statements conflicted with other statements or what facts were substantiated, so again we have to interpret this with limited information.

Finally, the City of Fall River’s Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey sent a letter to City Council President Cliff Ponte basically stating the City is done with the issue.

Was Linda Pereira cleared? Sure, but that’s based on the lack of evidence in a “he said, she said” claim without a list of named witnesses or any information on what was said. Holding up an appointment for political or personal reasons is nearly impossible to prove. Pereira getting cleared by this investigation is more of a “not guilty” verdict due to lack of evidence than being found innocent. It’s up to the public to decide if this report clears Pereira of political interference.