Pittsfield Investigation Clears Wiggins of Student Improprieties
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Four of the five executive summaries on alleged staff misconduct at Pittsfield High School have been released, including for Pittsfield High's former dean of students, Lavante Wiggins.
Wiggins is identified as "administrator 1" in the report.
Three administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP for a range of allegations that surfaced or re-surfaced at the end of 2024 after Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts.
BRG, commissioned by the School Committee, found that sexual abuse allegations against Wiggins were unsubstantiated, including a claim that he paid three students to attack another one.
"In December 2024, federal law enforcement authorities arrested and charged an administrator at Pittsfield High School ("PHS") (to whom we will refer in this report as "PHS Administrator 1) with federal narcotics offenses," the executive summary reads.
"Shortly thereafter, print, broadcast, and online news media began reporting unrelated allegations of misconduct by PHS Administrator 1 and other PHS administrators and educators. Contemporaneously, in her Facebook livestreamed social media feed, a former Pittsfield resident (to whom we will refer as the "Former Pittsfield Resident")', claimed that she had sources providing information about long-standing instances of PHS teachers and administrators abusing minors, and she publicly named some of those individuals."
The Pittsfield Public Schools then learned that the Department of Children and Families opened separate child abuse and neglect investigations against Wiggins, two other PHS administrators, and two former teachers.
The School Committee retained BRG on Dec. 31, 2024, to investigate the allegations and report findings to the school officials. Four executive summaries have been released, with the fifth pending.
Wiggins has been charged in the U.S. District Court with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The firm received no evidence that any of the alleged criminal activity occurred during school time, on school property, or with PHS students.
"Other than publicly available federal court charging documents, we had access to no other information or evidence regarding these accusations made against PHS Administrator 1. Because the case remains pending, federal and local law enforcement officials were unable to provide any other information on the case," the firm wrote.
"However, the Principal stated that shortly after PHS Administrator 1's arrest, a member of the United States Attorney's Office advised her that it appeared that none of his alleged narcotics activities had occurred at PHS or with students."
Wiggins was also investigated for allegations of sexual abuse of a student, for telling one student that another wanted to have sex with them, noncompliance with a student's restraining order against another student for sexual assault, and for paying students to attack another student.
Those allegations were found to be unsubstantiated with the exception that there were no determinations on whether he complied with the student's restraining order because the firm was unable to interview anyone with direct knowledge of the accusation.
In December 2022, two PHS students reported to a teacher and vice principal that Wiggins or a former teacher was engaging in sexual relations with a PHS student in a car, and shortly after, admitted that they based their allegation on rumors from their friends.
During the Title IX investigation, one student could not identify the male staff member involved and both were uncertain of the identity of the female student, stating that they could not recall where they heard the rumor. The female student asserted she had no sexual or inappropriate relationship with Wiggins and that she never entered his car.
"After the investigation, both DCF and PPS concluded that there was no credible basis for the allegation which was unfounded," the summary reads.
Based on witness interviews and review of personnel and investigation records, the firm found that PPS properly conducted an internal investigation when it learned of the allegations and filed a 51A report to DCF of suspected abuse in this instance.
In spring 2023, three students assaulted and beat another PHS student. The attacked student's mother then sent emails to the school resource officer and principal stating that her son received information that Wiggins paid the three to beat her son and tried to pay two other students, who declined.
She acknowledged that she had not been able to fact-check the allegations.
"During the PHS investigatory meeting, PHS Administrator #1 denied paying or offering to pay students to beat PHS Student #5. It appears that the Principal and Deputy Superintendent found the allegations unsubstantiated," the summary reads.
"We found no evidence that PHS Administrator #1 paid PHS Students #10, #11 and #12 to beat PHS Student #5. Accordingly, we find that the information gathered fails to substantiate this allegation."
In November 2024, a PHS student alleged that another student assaulted her at an off-campus party, and when answering to those charges, the accused student claimed that Wiggins "mentioned" that the victim wanted to sleep with them.
"The PHS Principal understands that PHS Administrator #1 testified in court and denied making the statement alleged. During our interview, on advice of counsel, PHS Administrator #1 declined to respond to our questions about this allegation," the summary reads.
"During our investigation, we were unable to interview any individual with direct knowledge of this allegation and, therefore, make no finding as to whether PHS Administrator #1 made this statement to PHS Student #15."
At the time Wiggins applied for the position in March 2021, he did not have a secondary-level certification from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
While the administrator did not have the proper licensure at the time he applied for the position, the summary states that PPS followed the proper protocols and applied for a DESE waiver when it decided to appoint him to the position. BRG notes that it has not seen the waiver application but presumes from DESE's waiver that PPS had an external public posting for the position, listed and gave reasons for not hiring its licensed applicants, and indicated that its unlicensed applicant was qualified for the position.
It was explained that of the three other applicants, one had no understanding of the use of data in student interventions, one lived in the district but had not been rehired, and one had no administrative experience or knowledge in restorative procedures.
"During this time period, DESE's Office of Educator Licensure granted emergency licenses for unlicensed applicants who had graduated from an accredited university or college (PHS Administrator #1's college was accredited) and had relevant work experience in the relevant certification area," the firm wrote.
"PHS Administrator #1 applied for and obtained an emergency license from DESE, which was valid for two years. After his first license expired, he applied for and obtained a second emergency license from DESE. DESE was authorized to issue emergency licenses from 2020 through 2023, so long as the individual had made progress toward or obtained the applicable DESE license."
According to Wiggin's personnel file, at the time of his reappointment in August 2024, he was pursuing a license and had completed some of the tests necessary to obtain the license.
Tags: investigation, Pittsfield Public Schools,
