School Committee Member Francis Oruga Speaks Out
Written By School Committee Member Francis Oruga, 6/4/26, posted to Facebook:
To the Holliston Community,
Moments ago, I learned that Sarah Fitzgerald has resigned from the School Committee, effective immediately.
I am deeply saddened by this news, not only because of what it means for our School Committee, but because of what it says about the climate that has developed within our community.
Sarah has served Holliston with integrity, honesty, respect, and a genuine commitment to open dialogue. She has consistently approached her role with professionalism and a desire to bring people together, even when opinions differed. Whether you agreed with her positions or not, her dedication to serving this community was evident.
There is no place for that in Holliston. It is particularly disappointing to see the same divisiveness and hostility that many of us criticize in our national discourse finding its way into our own community. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Sarah’s resignation follows Dan Alfred’s decision to withdraw from consideration for appointment to the one-year School Committee term after experiencing similar treatment directed not only at him but also at his family. While reasonable people can disagree on decisions, priorities, and outcomes, no volunteer public servant, especially their families should be subjected to harassment, intimidation, or personal attacks.
I joined the School Committee knowing there would be disagreements. In public service, disagreement is expected and often healthy. We all bring different perspectives, experiences, and priorities to the table. What I believed, however, was that despite those differences, Holliston would continue to be a community that treated one another with respect and dignity.
Over the past several days, I have found that belief challenged.
Following the adjournment of the June 2 joint meeting of the School Committee and Select Board, I was personally confronted with a comment that “I should burn a at the bottom of hell”. No one should direct such a vile comment at another member of this community. While I will not dwell on the individual involved, the message was clear: political disagreement had crossed the line into personal hostility.
I chose not to respond because I believe we must be better than that. But silence in the face of this behavior cannot become acceptance of it.
We can disagree without dehumanizing one another. We can challenge decisions without attacking character. We can advocate passionately without targeting families. Those principles should not be controversial.
The real issue before us is bigger than any one meeting, any one vote, or any one individual. It is about the kind of community we want Holliston to be.
If we allow intimidation, personal attacks, and hostility to become the norm, we risk driving away good people who are willing to volunteer, lead, and serve. That would be a loss for all of us, regardless of our political views or positions on any particular issue.
Today, I am asking members of our community to speak up.
Speak up for civility. Speak up for respect.
Speak up when you see behavior that crosses the line.
Speak up in support of constructive disagreement rather than personal destruction.
We do not have to agree with one another. But we must remember that we are neighbors first.
Holliston is better than what we have witnessed over the last several days. It is time for all of us to prove it.
– Written By School Committee Member Francis Oruga, 6/4/26, posted to Facebook