Watchdog group opens independent investigation into Waltham Public Schools for special ed malpractice

Joey Ford, an Attleboro resident and founder of the volunteer watchdog organization Parent Data Force, announced at the School Committee’s April 8 meeting that he would be opening an investigation into reported failures in special education at Waltham Public Schools. 

Ford said afterward that he had been contacted by Leslie Fenton, a mother of a special-needs child who has experienced denial of services, delayed support and lack of meaningful follow-through on her individualized education programs, or IEPs. Fenton and other parents he spoke with also had concerns about escalation in the classroom and retaliation from the district if they spoke up.

“I’m here tonight because something is very wrong when parents in a community feel so powerless, so dismissed and so unheard that they need to call in an outsider just to be taken seriously,” Ford told the committee.

Ford started Parent Data Force in January 2025 and has since conducted independent investigations into special education practices in Attleboro and Fall River. His methods include making public records requests to the school district, the city and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Ford searches for patterns in student records, transportation records, staffing records and internal communications to try to prove systemic malpractice. 

Parent Data Force is made up of ten contributors alongside Ford. They don’t provide legal services or receive compensation, rather, they are volunteers who gather information. Ford described himself after the meeting as “an investigative journalist without the writing.”

Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, chair of the School Committee, cut off Ford’s speech because he was not allowed to discuss litigation in the public input section. He reassured the committee that he was a private citizen and was not pursuing any lawsuit or criminal charge.

Committee member Edmund Tarallo addressed the mayor, turning away from Ford. “He’s not a Waltham citizen, he’s not associated with our schools and we’re just listening to his pitch? This isn’t what we’re for,” Tarallo said. 

The mayor advised Ford to “wrap it up as soon as possible.” She also said that the Special Education Parent Advisory Council had a standing invite to School Committee meetings, but that “they don’t show up.” Waltham’s SEPAC could not be reached for comment. 

Mayor McCarthy was reached, but declined to comment on pending claims or litigation against the School Department or City of Waltham. Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa and Interim Assistant Superintendent for Special Education Lisa Kingsley could not be reached.

During his announcement, Ford asked that parents, current and former staff, service providers, and the School Committee reach out to him via Facebook with concerns about special education in Waltham. 

“This is not an attack on every teacher, therapist, aide or staff member in this district. There are absolutely good people inside struggling systems. But good people inside broken structures do not cancel out the reports coming from families,” he said.