EASTHAMPTON — The effort to recall School Committee Chairperson Cynthia Kwiecinski has fallen short as the petition did not garner enough signatures before the deadline expired last Thursday.

For more than two weeks, several residents were stationed throughout the city with signs and tables to collect as many signatures as possible by June 8 at 5 p.m. However, City Clerk Barbara LaBombard said that after performing what she described as a “rough signature” count — which includes a simple count of signatures on all of the pages and deleting ones from residents outside of Easthampton — the effort totaled 1,060 signatures.

“Since 1,060 falls substantially short of the required 2,517 signatures, I will not be taking the time to go through the certification process,” LaBombard said in an email to the Gazette.

Kwiecinski told the Gazette in an emailed statement Monday that she was pleased that the recall is over and she will continue to serve the community.

Residents Cathy Wauczinski and Jean Pao Wilson began collecting  signatures to initiate the recall process of Kwiecinski in the weeks that followed the committee’s decision to rescind the school system superintendent job offer to Vito Perrone.

“Given the disruption of this superintendent search under her leadership, we don’t want her to continue being a leader of this committee or even a member,” Wauczinski said in a previous report.

On Monday, May 15, Wauczinski and Wilson submitted an affidavit toward that effort to LaBombard signed by more than 400 registered voters, with at least 60 from each of the city’s five precincts. LaBombard confirmed that she had certified the required 400 signatures to move forward with the process later that week.

The reason given for the recall of the chairperson includes: “not listening to citizens and stakeholders; being unresponsive; unprofessional behavior; sending police to someone’s home to make a job offer at midnight; aggressive verbal behavior during meetings toward other School Committee members; and refusal to move to hybrid meetings,” according to the affidavit.

LaBombard said that per the city charter, she mailed blank recall petitions to the first 10 signers of the recall affidavit, who then needed to collect a total of 2,517 signatures, which is 20% of the total number of registered voters as of the last city election.

In her Monday statement, Kwiecinski said that she understood that it can be “difficult and frustrating” to only hear snippets of a message about the superintendent search, and that the School Committee could not legally make complete statements.

“I do believe that most of the city understands the good work we have done, and I am extremely grateful for the support I received from many of our residents,” she wrote. “Most people understood that there was more to our decision than taking offense at one word. I was strengthened by the positive messages I received, and I look forward to completing the hiring and onboarding of our Interim Superintendent and continuing with what really matters, which is the education, and support of our students.”

Though the door has closed on efforts to recall Kwiecinski, it appears as though there are others attempting to recall a different committee member: Mayor Nicole LaChapelle.

Around the same time residents took out an affidavit for Kwiecinski, they also took out papers for the recall of the mayor, according to LaBombard. Since then, several residents have asked residents to attend petition-signing events at locations including Ferry Street and Bak Plaza via posts on Facebook.

Wauczinski said the recall for the mayor was started in part because of her role in the failed superintendent search. She added that nearly every person who signed the recall affidavit for Kwiecinski asked when there would be one for the mayor as well.

“Many citizens are dissatisfied with her as a mayor,” Wauczinski said in an emailed statement, noting that the effort goes beyond her and Wilson. “There is a growing list of concerns about her job performance, and her leadership within the town has been focused on a very small groups of citizens.”

To date, LaBombard said that she has not received any signatures on that affidavit.

LaChapelle told the Gazette she will uphold the oath she took to be mayor when elected in 2017, 2019 and 2021 and “bring the best quality of life” to city residents.

“Their choice does not change the feeling of honor and humility I have daily as the mayor of Easthampton,” LaChapelle said.

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>