MTA rep. rebutts committee's charges

To the Editor:

I am Lou Cornacchioli, the Massachusetts Teachers Association representative who was referenced by the Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee in their January 25 "SpeakOut" piece in The Community Journal. The same Lou Cornacchioli who from September of 1967 to June of 1969 taught seventh and eighth grade social studies, coached football under the late, great Art Hurst and directed the play, "The Miracle Worker" in the spring of 1967 at Oakmont Regional Junior-Senior High School. I am confident that my ex-students, players, actors, my former colleagues and many friends in the area would not characterize me as a bully, someone who would mock others or disrespect any individual. The school committee has used this false accusation about me to divert attention away from their failure to negotiate a fair and equitable contract. The committee and the school system would be better served if they abandon this tactic and return to face to face bargaining without their stringent conditions. Their continued attempts to control the process have only caused serious delays in securing a fair and equitable contract.

Louis J. Cornacchioli Massachusetts Teachers Association