Fall River School Committee member files resolution to censure Mayor Paul Coogan, School Committee member Thomas Khoury

In the wake of a resignation and the announcement of an investigation, the Fall River School Committee will be discussing the possible censure of multiple members at their next meeting.

School Committee member Collin Dias has filed a resolution to censure Mayor Paul Coogan and fellow School Committee member Thomas Khoury.

The move comes on the heels of Mayor Coogan announcing that the Fall River School Committee is under investigation by Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which was initiated by him.

At the same meeting, the Fall River Superintendent of Schools submitted her resignation.

The resolution accuses Khoury of leaking information from an ongoing executive session and Coogan of withholding information.

The details are contained below.

Dias stated why he is bringing the resolution forward.

“I just want to briefly explain why I’m bringing this forward. This resolution isn’t about being negative or attacking anyone personally. It’s about accountability and making sure we hold ourselves to the same standards and policies that govern how this committee is supposed to operate.

“Supporting this simply affirms that our policies matter and that transparency and professionalism matter. That’s important for us as a body and for maintaining the public’s trust.

“I also want to be clear that this is not the end of the conversation. The Policy Subcommittee should will be working on our internal governance structure so that we can improve how our meetings function and make them more productive and effective moving forward.

“My goal here is simple: acknowledge the issues, reaffirm our standards, and focus on making this committee work better for everyone.”

The matter is scheduled to be taken up at the next Fall River School Committee meeting on April 1st.