Some two years after a school guidance counselor in Amherst, Mass., was ousted amid transphobia accusations, an arbitrator has ruled she must be reinstated. Community members upset by the ruling made their voices heard this week.
“I'm here before you today in a state of anger, shock and fear for children in our schools after hearing the news that Delinda Dykes won her arbitration case and can be reinstated to once again work in our schools,” said Amber Cano-Martin.
The Amherst parent was among dozens of people who filled an Amherst Regional School Committee meeting Tuesday, July 22, voicing dismay over the latest development in a case that shook the school community.
It was May 2023 when The Graphic, a student newspaper at Amherst Regional High School, published a piece detailing allegations of transphobia at the middle school.
At the center of the piece were three staff members: Delinda Dykes, a guidance counselor, adjustment counselor Hector Santos and Tania Cabrera, also a guidance counselor.
Among other allegations, the expose claimed the three counselors failed to support students who would report LGBTQIA-related bullying and that they allegedly misgendered students. When reached out to by The Graphic, all three staff “refuted all claims made in this report."
Following investigations, speak outs and reports, the three were ultimately removed.
But, as Superintendent Dr. Xiomara Herman announced this month, Dykes was successful in her legal challenge against her termination.
Hired in 2024, Herman was not with the district as the controversy unfolded, including when accusations arose that Santos and Dykes ran a “private prayer circle” and that Dykes made homophobic comments.
Two years after Dykes’ dismissal, an arbitrator found that the school district violated state law when it axed the counselor.
Reviewing the ruling, Herman says it was clear “procedural deficiencies,” including “the lack of documented progressive discipline, limited evidentiary records, and the absence of key witnesses during arbitration” contributed to the decision.
“We cannot ever arrive at this same place again,” Herman said at the meeting. “We owe it to our children and to the future of this district to end this now, so I ask for your support as myself and my district leadership team continue to take on and to be courageous as we undertake the systemic changes needed. This journey will be uncomfortable, but it is essential for all children to be comfortable, to be safe and to feel that they're an environment where they can be their true and authentic selves.”
Herman spoke after a lengthy public comment section, which featured students, parents and other community members voicing concern over the arbitrator’s decision, which calls for immediate reinstatement and the restoration of “all wages and benefits” she would have received.
Those speakers included Ali Wicks-Lim, who spoke at a rally ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. She read aloud a statement from the Ad Hoc LGBTQIA+ Caucus of Amherst.
“According to the investigative report released by the district, Dykes repeatedly misgendered and dead-named students and held prayer circles in a school building where she said, and I quote, “In the name of Jesus, we pray that the LGBTQ gay demon that wants to attach and confuse these kids to leave this school now.” It is our position that no employee who committed these offenses should be allowed anywhere near students ever again.”
According to MassLive, Dykes as well as Santos and Cabrera, were cleared by a district administrator of “any Title IX violations in connection with their treatment of trans students.” The administrator also said the staff’s conduct had been “offensive,” with there being evidence that “suggests Dykes’ treatment of trans students was intentional.”
WAMC has reached out to Dykes for comment. It’s not yet clear how and when she would be reinstated by the district, or how much the district owes her.
