Distrust and a “culture of fear” are rampant in Wareham Public Schools, according to an anonymous letter submitted to the School Committee.

The letter alleges that relations between teachers and administrators took a turn for the worse three years ago, soon after Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood was hired, leading to an exodus of talented staff.

On June 8, committee member Mary Morgan used the meeting’s public participation segment to address her board, saying she was there to “validate” concerns outlined in the letter.

Committee members, along with local media outlets, received the letter the week of June 1.

In it, school administrators are charged with not responding to staff concerns, driving away teachers and presiding over a period that saw a spike in parent complaints and a drop in test scores.

“I’m here to validate the letter and am asking the board to respond appropriately,” said Morgan.

Speaking after the meeting, Chair Mel Lazarus said his board would not comment on the letter, giving no credence to its contents.

“We have no plans to answer an anonymous letter,” Lazarus said. “As far as I’m concerned, if the person or persons who wrote it were so passionate about their beliefs, they would have signed.”

Lazarus said the author’s reason for remaining anonymous – job loss – was off base. Lazarus is himself a former Wareham Public Schools employee, having worked for the district 17 years before retiring.

“This school department would not consider for one second taking retribution against someone who disagreed with their views,” said Lazarus.

Morgan said she spoke during the meeting’s public participation segment, “not as a School Committee member, but as a taxpayer, a former public school employee and a resident.”

Morgan, a new addition to the School Committee, left the district disappointed in its direction last year. She started working for Wareham schools in 1997.

In 2013, she accepted the out of district/special education coordinator position in Wareham.

She was elected in April, beating out incumbent Rhonda Veugen. She left the district in 2015 and currently works in Rockland Public Schools.

Speaking from previous work experience, Morgan described the fear felt by her former co-workers as a “panther waiting to strike.”

“Is a culture of fear and lack of morale what the School Committee and residents want?” Morgan asked.

According to the letter: “An overall sense of apathy and resignation has developed…We are very tired of being treated this way. We deserve a more healthy and functional work environment.”

In response to Morgan’s actions, the Wareham Education Association issued a statement saying its leadership had no role authoring the letter.

The Association serves as the bargaining agent between its members and the Wareham School Committee.

“Members of the Association may have been involved with its authorship, but the concept and text were never subject to discussions or vote by the Board of the WEA,” the statement read in part.

It went to say that any educator willing to stand up for a “smart and safe learning environment should be commended.”

School Committee members did not respond to Morgan’s request following her statement.

To read the anonymous letter in full, click on the link below.