School Committee tables contested policy on emotional support dogs

By Isabella Lapriore

School Committee members tabled a proposed districtwide policy on emotional support dogs at its Wednesday meeting.

Julia Norman, a digital learning teacher at MacArthur Elementary School, addressed the committee, asking members to pause the policy’s approval process, speak with Toni Mecionates, teacher and handler of the school’s former emotional support dog, and update the policy’s language.

Norman requested the committee remove language in the policy that prohibits teachers from serving as handlers. She had expressed concern about that language in a statement she shared on behalf of the school’s staff at a Dec. 3 School Committee meeting.

She reiterated her concerns this week as she asked committee members to reconsider the prohibition. “Working hard means more than drafting language; it means listening, observing, collaborating and adapting policy to real students in real schools,” Norman told them. “That is the work our educators do every day, and we are asking for the same level of care in the policy.”

Committee member Edmund Tarallo expressed his approval of the existing policy, citing the role of a teacher as a dog’s handler could potentially distract students.

“I think the idea of an emotional support animal is phenomenal. I want to see them as many places as we can in our district. However, I don’t think that in the classroom is where they are going to be most effective for our teacher if they have to handle that animal at all times,” Tarallo said.

The policy, according to Tarallo, was designed to ensure equity and protect students and staff in the future.

Committee member James Zanghi said he wants the committee to rework the policy’s language in the new year and align it to National Institutes of Health research regarding the mental health benefits of emotional support animals. 

After a recommendation from Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy to allow input from educators, committee member Liz AlJammal withdrew an initial motion that had been seconded by Tarallo to approve the policy.