A Violation of Journalistic Ethics?

Select Board reading draft doc written by Temp Town Mgr Peter Hechenbleikner

So yes, more than a few people have asked how I came in possession of a "draft" document that was being discussed at a public meeting (although in a hard-to-find room) where a public official later refused to release it to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

 Draft Select Board response to Vira Douangmany Cage email last week

First off I'm aggressive about getting the story but I always keep in mind the ethics involved, because a good reporter is only as good as their reputation.  And ethics violations are a quick way to forever destroy a reputation.

Although these days, with the blinding speed of digital reporting, the line between right and wrong is sometimes a tad blurry.

Cut to the video replay:




As you can clearly see I borrowed the document (with permission) just long enough to photograph it, and since the Select Board was discussing said document in a public setting it is most certainly going to become a public document in the very near future.

In fact the draft of the document I published would also be subject to Public Documents Law which acting SB Chair Doug Slaughter seemed to acknowledge.

This exceedingly sad case of single mom trying to protect her 7-year-old daughter from bullying only to be bullied in return by the public schools has embroiled the Pelham, Amherst and Regional School Committees, Amherst and Pelham Police Departments and now the Select Board in a no-win quagmire.

It should NEVER have gotten this far.

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Aisha Hiza at Monday's Select Board meeting

Statement from Aisha Hiza after last night's Pelham School Committee meeting:

"The Pelham chief said that he had spoken to the school but had come to a conclusion that it was a school issue. The Amherst Police said that it was a Pelham issue, as did the Amherst town manager. 

Both have made these statements, but the superintendent in her statement said that she placed the stay away order because of the advice and guidance of both town's police departments. 

So who is telling the truth and who is lying? Who will take responsibility? 

Over 80 something days I was banned with no due process and no actual reasoning or explanation. 

Can you even imagine the amount of stress this created for my child and myself? 

Even with the ban lifted I will not able to enter the school unless I have someone with me as a witness because I have lost trust ... and for good reason. 

The abuse of power continues: they are withholding my daughter's complete school records, which I have requested from them more then once verbally and in writing. Records that as a parent I have the rights to according to state laws. 

Instead all they will give me is a log of her visits to the school nurse. This stay away should never have been placed. Instead of handling the real situation of my child being bullied, the superintendent and her administration irrationally and hastily made decisions and decided that my daughter's well being and safety at school was not important. 

The use of a stay way order was placed intermittently is questionable. How is safety conditional if my behavior/actions were such a concern that warranted such an order but I was okayed to attend events.

Hell, even a court ordered Restraining Order has an expiration date to revisit and have an appeals process. Seems to me like a misuse of power without admittance to their fault."