School Committee Restores Security Director Job

The position of Milford schools' security director is back in place.

School Committee members , which eliminated the position. The latest vote followed a tense period in which several members criticized each other for

Reading from a statement, committee member Robert Lanzetta accused member Paul Mazzuchelli of "sensationalizing" the original decision, which eliminated the job of David Cutler. He said he would not be intimidated by "bullying" from other members, or by the threat of a lawsuit, in making decisions.

Mazzuchelli, who said he had sworn at member Donald Quattrochio during discussion for the original vote, filed later by Quattrochio, who said he did so because he never received an apology.

Lanzetta's comment also was an apparent reference to the employee whose job was eliminated by the committee's vote in May.

Cutler, who did not attend the meeting, hired an attorney following the May 10 vote. He is in the first year of a three-year contract. Had the committee not reinstated the position, he would have been out of a job as of July 1. Last year, he earned $61,327.

Lanzetta, speaking to the committee, said the issue was about a position, not an individual.

"It's not about a particular individual or his character," Lanzetta said. "It's a discussion about a position. ... It's unfortunate that this situation has been sensationalized by Mr. Mazzuchelli."

Mazzuchelli, when he responded, said he had not expected to be "personally attacked" Thursday.

Mazzuchelli, who had voted against the original cut, said he was disappointed that some committee members didn't give others more consideration in May, when they felt more time was needed to consider the impact of the security director cut. He cited the code of ethics for committee members, which said a vote will come "only after all facts and questions have been presented and discussed... That wasn't done on May 10th."

The 5-2 vote to rescind the May 10 decision broke down as follows: Voting in favor were Patrick Holland, chairman of the committee, and members Lanzetta, Mazzuchelli, Christine Boyle and Mike Walsh. Holland and Lanzetta had originally voted to cut the position.

Voting against were members Quattrochio and Scott Harrison, who were two of the four members who had originally voted to cut the position of security director.

In a related action, Holland appointed two members — Walsh and Quattrochio — to a two-person subcommittee that will look at all aspects of school security, including the functions of the security director, and make a recommendation to the full committee.

The subcommittee does not have a timeline for making a recommendation.

Boyle, who voted in favor of rescinding the May 10 vote, said the creation of a subcommittee, to make a recommendation after investigating school security issues, was the decision that should have been made all along.

"That's the right thing to do," she said. "We'll get the input, and we'll make an informed decision."

The original advocate for the cut, Quattrochio, said he had recommended the position be eliminated because he felt it was duplicating effort, a "luxury" the system can't afford.

Quattrochio, along with Harrison, was newly elected in April. The meeting May 10 was his second as a board member.

"I did not run to just fill a seat," he said. "I ran to make changes, positive changes, for our parents and kids."