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Boston Globe
02-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
As Pawtucket faces a pivotal spring, Mayor Grebien loses top aide
The move also comes as Pawtucket leaders prepare for what is likely to be an emotional spring. My colleague Ed Fitzpatrick Advertisement Hasbro is Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up On the bright side, Rhode Island FC Advertisement The bigger picture: It's no secret that Pawtucket has taken a beating in recent years. The Aside from Grebien, Pawtucket Foundation executive director Gaetan Kashala and his board co-chairs Dan Sullivan Jr. from Collette Travel and Jeremy Duffy from The Guild are constantly pitching the city as a destination for businesses and entertainment. (Unlike too many of Providence's business leaders, they'd rather promote their city than complain about it.) Not to mention, Channel 10's Alison Bologna has become one of Pawtucket's best cheerleaders after doing a remarkable job revitalizing an old mill building on Pine Street for her The next question for Grebien is whether he'll take a run at statewide office – possibly lieutenant governor – next year. The Democrat was elected mayor in 2010, but if the new stadium is a hit, 2026 might be his best opportunity to jump to the next level. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Pawtucket, R.I., schools chief sues city officials, alleging they forced her out of her job
Advertisement 'Upon information and belief, Plaintiff's detractors did not want an African American (female) Superintendent,' the lawsuit states. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up When reached by the Globe, Royal said she would be available for comment later Friday. In a statement, Grebien said the city 'vigorously disagrees with the claims made in the lawsuit' and said the matter 'may be an attempt to shift attention away from the challenges the administration has faced.' 'The City will work collaboratively to support the most diverse School Committee in Pawtucket's history and Acting Superintendent as they work to pull the pieces together and change the trajectory of the district,' Grebien said. Grebien's statement did not address claims about the alleged withholding of approximately $3.2 million in school funds. 'We remain committed to prioritizing the education of our students and the well-being of our teachers,' the mayor said. 'As this is ongoing litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.' The lawsuit was first reported by WPRI. Royal began her tenure in Pawtucket in July 2023 after working in the Providence public school district. Previously, Royal worked in education in Florida for several decades. This breaking news story will be updated. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘This is sabotage': Pawtucket superintendent blasts city leaders in lawsuit
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — When Patricia Royal was considering in 2023 whether to apply for the superintendent position at Pawtucket School Department, she said a colleague told her to be 'careful.' Royal, a Black woman, was going for a job that had only been held by white people. And while the majority of Pawtucket students are people of color, Royal said the majority of administrators are white. Despite the warning, Royal applied and was hired to the district's top job — accomplishing a goal she said she'd been working toward throughout her more than three decades in education in both Rhode Island and Florida. But after getting hired, Royal said she was immediately met with external headwinds, which fueled an overall experience she said was shrouded in racism, hatred and sabotage. Ultimately, she said the working environment forced her to go out on medical leave in late February due to anxiety caused by the job. 'I have experienced racism throughout my life,' Royal told Target 12 during an exclusive interview. 'I've never in my life experienced it in this capacity.' Royal's interview with Target 12 marks the first time she's spoke publicly since taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act a month ago. The district has since appointed an interim superintendent, Randy Buck. Royal's contract doesn't expire until June 2026, but her future at the district is uncertain. 'I can't even stomach walking back into this,' she said. On Thursday, Royal filed a 100-page federal lawsuit against Pawtucket, the School Committee and several city leaders individually, including Mayor Donald Grebien and School Committee Chairman Omar Reyes. She accused them of defamation, retaliation, negligence, inflecting emotional distress and interfering with her contract, among other things. Royal has also filed claims of race and gender discrimination with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is required before the issues can be litigated in federal court. Once the claims clear with those agencies, Royal said she plans to add those claims to the lawsuit, according to her complaint. 'I've never seen so much hatred in one place,' Royal said. Royal said she's been publicly berated by School Committee members, targeted by leaders of the Pawtucket Teachers Alliance, lied to and lied about by city leaders, and repeatedly blamed for issues that predated her leadership. Grebien, Reyes and others named in the lawsuit declined to be interviewed for this story. In a statement, Grebien said, 'the city vigorously disagrees with the claim made in the lawsuit.' 'This may be an attempt to shift attention away from the challenges the administration has faced,' Grebien said. There's been no love lost between the Grebien administration and the School Department over the past year, as both sides have fought over funding, school building projects and control. Royal said she had a target on her back from the moment she took the job in 2023 and was immediately criticized for attending an out-of-state conference on her first day of employment. She said she had cleared the trip first with the chair of the School Committee. But she said the animosity she's felt from Grebien and other members of city leadership escalated in 2024 when the city failed to submit its annual financial audit to the state on time. Royal said city leaders wanted to blame the schools for the tardiness, which she disputed. 'They tried to paint a picture as if it was the School Department's issue, but it's not,' she said. Royal was adamant her department had its financial reports in order on time, and she said city leadership targeted her in part because she'd fought them publicly over $3.2 million in state education aid that she said the city illegally withheld from the schools. The complaint alleged city leaders retaliated against her for being a whistleblower about the money. 'I highlighted those things with the finance issues, and then I had to pull in my legal team to help me identify those issues and then correct those issues,' Royal said. Prior to the end of the fiscal year last spring, Royal said the city took the unusual step of forcing her department to close out its books early, which resulted in an array of problems. Royal said it requisitions were deleted, school officials were blocked from payment systems and in some cases they couldn't pay vendors — exposing the department to legal liability. 'The city Finance Department even canceled outgoing checks that the PSD needed to pay expenses, despite PSD having allocated the money to make those payments,' Royal's attorney Paige Muro-Delotto wrote in the complaint. Royal said city leaders then lied about what was happening behind the scenes in public comments made to local media. Royal — who described herself as a 'rule follower' — said she did everything she could to keep operations moving smoothly, even as she felt attacked from all sides. 'I'm a hardworking, dedicated leader,' she said. 'I will not ever put my morals, values aside and I'm not going to sacrifice my reputation, so when I was asked to do things that go against my core values — I'm not going to do that.' Royal said she still can't understand why she became the target of so much animosity. Her goal with the district was to improve education for students and families, she said, and the lawsuit outlines a long list of her accomplishments that she bills as achievements for Pawtucket schools. 'I've reached out and asked point blank, 'What do you want me to do? What can I do to make this a better working relationship?'' she said. 'When you don't get an answer, and then you often hear negativity about things that aren't true, then it's like — OK, this is sabotage.' Much of the back-channeling of negativity, she said, came from Grebien himself. Royal said she was once reprimanded by his staff for taking a photo with a political rival of the mayor at a school event. When she asked the mayor about it, she said Grebien said he didn't know anything about it, and 'it must be a misunderstanding of some sort.' She'd then hear from multiple people who said the mayor was telling people Royal was 'difficult to work with.' But Royal said any time she tried to talk to the mayor about these comments, he'd tell her everything was OK. That all changed, however, once there was an overhaul of School Committee members in last November's election, Royal said. Grebien stopped taking her phone calls, according to the lawsuit, and Reyes was appointed chairman as a first-term member. Royal said Reyes quickly made life hectic for her and her staff. He'd criticize their work ethic, and he'd repeatedly request large volumes of information, only to complain about the results and not even take the information with him, according to the complaint. Royal said she was reprimanded when she tried sharing certain information with other School Committee members, and when she went on leave in February for a medical procedure, Reyes went after her staff for her paid time off and medical records, according to the complaint. Royal said that was her breaking point when she decided she needed to go on medical leave. 'To be working in an environment that way — in such a hostile working environment — I don't wish that environment for anyone,' Royal said. Reyes said he was advised by lawyers not to comment on the lawsuit until it was reviewed. Grebien disagreed with the characterization of the lawsuit, saying in a statement, 'As a lifelong Pawtucket resident, father, and mayor of this great city, I always want to see our schools succeed and our students thrive.' 'The city will work collaboratively to support the most diverse School Committee in Pawtucket's history and acting superintendent as they work to pull the pieces together and change the trajectory of the district,' he said. 'We remain committed to prioritizing the education of our students and the well-being of our teachers. As this is ongoing litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.' Royal said she's distraught that her entire career as an educator could be derailed by her time at Pawtucket, where she feels like he reputation has been tarnished. And she became emotional when talking about the toll it has all taken taken on her, her children and her grandchildren. 'To me, it just kind of boils down to the idea that maybe they were not ready for a Black female superintendent,' she said. 'Maybe they had different expectations. I don't know because I can't get an answer. That's the frustrating part.' Eli Sherman (esherman@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. 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Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grebien says keeping Hasbro HQ in Pawtucket is still ‘on the table'
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — The future location of Hasbro's new headquarters may still be up in the air. The Boston Business Journal reported on Monday that the company is leaning toward leaving its current headquarters in Pawtucket for a location in Boston's Seaport District. Rhode Island officials have tried to convince the local toymaker to stay in the Ocean State, while Massachusetts officials have pushed for the business to make a move. 'We've heard all the stories, Seaport, we've heard different ones,' Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien told 12 News on Wednesday. 'I can tell you that Pawtucket … it's on the table.' BACKGROUND: RI leaders persist in keeping Hasbro local amid HQ search Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee's office, told 12 News on Tuesday that discussions between the state and Hasbro are 'continuing.' 'We made a strong case to Hasbro highlighting the many reasons they should remain at home right here in Rhode Island,' DaRocha said. The city proposed building a new headquarters on the banks of the Blackstone River, which Grebien's office said was 10 to 15% below commercial lease rates in the Boston market. Grebien said he hopes to hear more in the coming weeks. 'We've put in a proposal, and from what we understand, they're going to make a decision with all the proposals at the table,' he explained. According to Grebien, the toymaker may be weighing some new factors in their decision-making process. 'One of the things we've heard from them is financially, the impacts of Trump tariff assessments could impact their business,' Grebien noted. In 2023, Hasbro said its supply chain included around 75 third-party manufacturing facilities in 14 countries including the United States, Mexico and China. This week, an additional 10% U.S. tariff on all Chinese goods took effect, which could have major impacts for American consumers, as well as toy companies. RELATED: Brown U. Health to move offices into former Hasbro offices in Providence Grebien said at this point, the city is just waiting for feedback on their proposal. 'I think there are many factors that they're looking at,' Grebien noted. 'We want to respect them. I think they belong here in Pawtucket.' Alexandra Leslie and Kim Kalunian contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
