DCF Clears Two Pittsfield High Administrators

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:02PM / Friday, February 28, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The Department of Children and Families has reportedly cleared two Pittsfield High School administrators of misconduct: Dean of Students Molly West and Vice Principal Alison Shepard.

On Friday, School Committee Chair William Cameron confirmed that DCF’s 51A investigation of allegations of abuse or neglect made against PHS Dean of Students Molly West was unsupported.

"(Superintendent Joseph Curtis) told me yesterday that his office has received formal notice from DCF that the agency's investigation of those allegations has been completed, and that the allegations were found to be unsupported," Cameron wrote VIA email.

Earlier in the week, he announced that the first part of a committee-initiated investigation led by Mary-Lou Rup, a retired Superior Court judge, was completed and West, one of the school’s two deans, was cleared by Rup.

iBerkshires inquired about the DCF investigation running parallel. On Thursday, Cameron said the district has reason to believe that DCF's investigation has cleared West, but he did not have written confirmation of that assertion.

"I have been told by [interim Deputy Superintendent Matt] Bishop, who is the Pittsfield Public Schools' contact with DCF in these matters, that the agency's investigation of Ms. West was returned with a determination that the allegations made against her were unsupported," he wrote.

"I have not seen formal confirmation of this from DCF. Apparently, its report to Dr. Bishop was provided through a conversation."

The Berkshire Eagle Wednesday night reported that DCF has determined that allegations of misconduct against PHS Vice Principal Alison Shepard were unsupported. The Eagle also reported that DCF cleared Berkshire Family YMCA staff member Taverick "Tank" Roberson in January and he returned from administrative leave.

West and Shepard were placed on administrative leave in December in the wake of investigations by the Department of Children and Families. A couple of days before, PHS Dean Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine.

The School Committee-instigated investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by PHS staff members began at the beginning of the year and is expected to be completed on or before March 31.

Tags: Pittsfield Public Schools,

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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