Table of Contents
You’re able to read this because 64 Marblehead residents — parents, retirees and local professionals — currently support this work with recurring contributions. The Independent operates on about $80,000 a year, with roughly ninety-five percent dedicated directly to reporting. Our goal is 100 members by Dec. 31 so we can keep showing up to meetings like this. If local accountability journalism matters to you, joining today makes a tangible difference. Click here to become an Independent member.
The Marblehead School Committee voted 4-0 to hear a Step Three grievance in public session from Marblehead Veterans Middle School English teacher Brigitte Karns challenging changes to the district’s lead teacher stipend, then later voted to enter executive session following an extended hearing focused on procedure, compensation and allegations of retaliation.
Before testimony began, committee members paused to clarify whether the grievance would be heard in executive session or publicly. Attorney Yael Magen, who represents Karns, told the committee the teacher was waiving her right to an executive session and asked that the matter be heard in open session.
“I think the committee should probably discuss this request,” committee member Jenn Schaeffner said as members considered how to proceed.
Chair Al Williams made a motion to enter executive session briefly to discuss the procedural question. The committee approved the motion and recessed before returning to open session.
After the recess, Schaeffner made a formal motion to hear the Step Three grievance in public. The committee approved the motion unanimously.
Want the key town stories without the noise? Sign up for our newsletter for clear weekly updates on boards, budgets and what’s changing in Marblehead — no spam. Sign up for our once-a-week newsletter.
“Well, what is the process? How does this work?” Schaeffner asked as the hearing began.
Superintendent John Robidoux said the grievance had already moved through earlier steps, with Level 1 heard by the school principal and Level 3 heard by the superintendent, placing the matter before the School Committee under the district’s grievance process.
Karns told the committee she has served as lead English teacher since the position was established in 2008 and objected to the district’s decision to split the role. She said the change reduced her stipend and affected her retirement calculation.
“I’ve been the lead English teacher since the position was established,” Karns said. “This not only affects my current salary, but it also affects my retirement.”
Karns said the lead teacher position had historically been held by a single teacher and that splitting the role had no precedent at her school. She argued the change altered compensation and responsibilities without proper bargaining and said the timing of the decision raised concerns about retaliation.
Committee members repeatedly pressed for clarity about what remedy Karns was seeking and what authority the School Committee has at the Step Three stage. Schaeffner summarized the request as reinstatement as the sole lead English teacher and asked whether compensation was also being sought.
Magen said Karns is seeking reinstatement and back pay, arguing the stipend change was implemented without proper bargaining. She also said the grievance cannot be separated from broader concerns Karns has raised about workplace retaliation, which she argued provide context for the stipend decision.
Robidoux responded that the district views some aspects of the dispute as extending beyond the stipend itself, while acknowledging the stipend decision was part of the discussion.
Committee members also questioned representation and process. When asked whether Karns was represented by the Marblehead Education Association, Karns said she was not. Magen said union leadership did not step forward to represent her, prompting committee members to ask follow-up questions about how that affects what materials and arguments are properly before them.
The MEA, in an email to the Independent, refuted that union leadership did not "step forward."
"All MEA members are entitled to equal access to representation and support. In this case, the MEA was not notified of the grievance at the initial stage and first became aware of it when it advanced to Step 2," the MEA wrote. "At that point, the union asserted its responsibility under the law and the contract as the exclusive bargaining representative to be present and made representation available."
The union added, " Ms. Karns elected not to be represented by the MEA and chose to proceed with private legal counsel."
As the hearing continued, committee members asked Karns to clarify the nature of the retaliation she was alleging and what evidence supported those claims. Schaeffner asked whether Karns felt safe at work, and Karns said she did not.
Committee member Henry Gwazda described the allegations raised during the hearing as “very, very serious” and emphasized the committee’s responsibility to distinguish between claims and what can be substantiated through the grievance record.
Members repeatedly stressed that their role at the Step Three stage is limited to evaluating the grievance as presented — including procedure, precedent and contractual authority — rather than adjudicating broader workplace or discrimination claims.
The grievance hearing took place against the backdrop of an independent investigation the School Committee authorized last year, approving up to $25,000 for an outside review of antisemitism allegations and related workplace complaints. The investigator’s report, released in early April 2025, said the investigation could not substantiate claims that district staff or students were subjected to discrimination or harassment based on antisemitism, that administrators were indifferent to such complaints or that employees were retaliated against for raising concerns. The report also cited procedural shortcomings in how some earlier grievances were handled.
At the end of open session, the committee votes. to enter executive session for the purposes listed on the agenda, including strategy sessions for collective bargaining and discussion of potential litigation involving former superintendent John Buckey.
