Public Records Request for Data on 51A Reports (Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School)

Dear Norrie Osgood, Thank you for your interest in public records of City of Boston. Your request has been received and is being processed. Your request was received in this office on 6/3/2024 10:17:18 PM and given the reference number R002242-060324 for tracking purposes. To Whom It May Concern:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c. 66, §10, for public records in the custody of your organization. The Center for Public Interest Advocacy & Collaboration is an educational, research, and advocacy organization at Northeastern University School of Law. We produce publicly available interdisciplinary research and data analysis on important social issues.

We request the following public records, as defined in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):

1. Cross-tabulated counts of 51A reports filed against children ages 3-18 in school years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 broken down by
a. Category of reporter (mandated or non-mandated)
b. Age of the child
c. Race of the child
d. Ethnicity of the child
e. Sexual orientation and gender identity of the child
f. Disability status of the child
g. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
2. Intersectional counts of 51A reports filed against parents in school years 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, broken down by
a. Race of the parent
b. Ethnicity of the parent
c. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
3. The standard operating procedures of the Office of Equity at Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School and its role in creating and maintaining procedures for mandatory reporting and filing of 51As since its inception

We requested the same records from the Department of Children and Families of Massachusetts on May 17, 2024, and have yet to receive a response.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all associated fees be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). If you have any questions about this request or need additional time to respond, please contact me. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,

Norrie Osgood
Research Assistant
Center for Public Interest, Advocacy, and Collaboration
Northeastern University School of Law
osgood.n@northeastern.edu
(603) 848-2018

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Public Records Center. Director of Public Records
Records Access Officer
City of Boston

--- Please respond above this line ---
06/18/2024 RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of June 03, 2024., Reference # R002242-060324 Dear Norrie Osgood: The City of Boston (City) has received your request for public records.  This response applies only to records that exist and are in the custody of the City. See A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, p. 32, n.115.  It is expected that a custodian of records must use her superior knowledge of her records with respect to responses to public records requests.  950 CMR 32.04(5).  Specifically, you stated:
To Whom It May Concern:

This letter constitutes a request pursuant to the Public Records Act, M.G.L. c. 66, §10, for public records in the custody of your organization. The Center for Public Interest Advocacy & Collaboration is an educational, research, and advocacy organization at Northeastern University School of Law. We produce publicly available interdisciplinary research and data analysis on important social issues.

We request the following public records, as defined in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7 (twenty-sixth):

1. Cross-tabulated counts of 51A reports filed against children ages 3-18 in school years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 broken down by
a. Category of reporter (mandated or non-mandated)
b. Age of the child
c. Race of the child
d. Ethnicity of the child
e. Sexual orientation and gender identity of the child
f. Disability status of the child
g. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
2. Intersectional counts of 51A reports filed against parents in school years 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, broken down by
a. Race of the parent
b. Ethnicity of the parent
c. Type of abuse or neglect alleged
3. The standard operating procedures of the Office of Equity at Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion School and its role in creating and maintaining procedures for mandatory reporting and filing of 51As since its inception

We requested the same records from the Department of Children and Families of Massachusetts on May 17, 2024, and have yet to receive a response.

As this request involves a matter of public interest and will not be used for any commercial purpose, we ask that all associated fees be waived pursuant to 950 C.M.R. 32.07(2)(k). If you have any questions about this request or need additional time to respond, please contact me. Thank you in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Sincerely,

Norrie Osgood
Research Assistant
Center for Public Interest, Advocacy, and Collaboration
Northeastern University School of Law
osgood.n@northeastern.edu
(603) 848-2018

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ A response to a public records request must be provided within ten (10) business days of receiving a written request.  G. L. c. 66, § 10 (a); 950 CMR 32.06(2)(b).  The public records law permits a response time of up to twenty-five (25) business days from the business day a written request is received, so long as a detailed explanation is provided.  G. L. c. 66, § 10(b)(vi); 950 CMR 32.06(2)(i). Due to the nature of your request, additional time is needed.  As such, the City will need up to, but no more than, fifteen (15) additional business days to review and process your request. Yours truly, Bianca V. Crockett, Esq. Assistant Corporation Counsel City of Boston One City Hall Square Boston, MA 02201 Bianca.crockett@boston.gov