An attempt to release an investigative report to the public failed at the Hampton Elementary School Board of Education’s October 23 meeting when the motion, made by member Juan Arriola, to discuss the matter, did not receive a second. Arriola, who reviewed the report in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, deemed it important for the public to know, though he refrained from citing details of the report in order to preserve the current confidentiality of the document. Arriola has been a consistent critic of what he and some other town officials consider the school board’s lack of transparency.
The report summarizes the investigation into a discrimination grievance filed by Armin Harris, former custodian, against former principal Patrice Merendina in September, 2023. The circumstances surrounding the investigation triggered several complaints, including one lodged with the school board currently under investigation, two, subsequently settled, with the FOIC, and two with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) which are pending.
Additionally, the investigation, conducted by attorneys, cost $18,000, though board policies stipulate that the Superintendent has ten days to hold a hearing on a discrimination grievance and five days to “resolve the complaint and negotiate a long-term solution, or refer the matter to the Board of Education for consideration”.
After the investigation was finalized, the only information released was a correspondence dated December 21, 2023 from former Superintendent Samantha Sarli to Harris concluding that “the investigators substantiated some of your allegations, specifically that Ms. Merendina engaged in certain inappropriate conduct towards you at times”. Though no further details were offered, it was noted that the conduct was not racially motivated.
Subsequent to the investigation, Harris filed a complaint with the CHRO, and after the specifics were released in a September 10, 2024 article in The Willimantic Chronicle, Merendina filed a complaint to the school board against Arriola regarding his “involvement” in Harris’ case. That complaint alleged that Arriola attempted to attend a meeting, ultimately cancelled, with administrators and Harris, distributed Harris’ letter of resignation at a board meeting, and “disclosed information that he obtained based on his position as a Board of Education member to the public and to the media” causing “substantial damage and injury to Ms. Merendina’s professional and personal reputation”.
After Merendina resigned, accepting a position with Norwich Public Schools which she described as “necessary….to reach my professional goals,” the school board at its October 23, 2024 meeting, voted 5-4 to launch an investigation into Merendina’s “complaint against a board member.”
Invoices received from September 2024 through August 2025 show that the board has spent approximately $12,000 investigating the complaint thus far, conducting extensive interviews with Superintendent Andrew Skarzynski and all board members except three who voted against the investigation, John Russell, Diane Gagnon, and Arriola himself. According to the invoices, no attempts to date have been made to contact Gagnon or Arriola during the course of the investigation which commenced almost a year ago.
As to the allegations under investigation, Arriola admits to distributing the resignation, at Harris’ request, and to attending a meeting between Harris and administrators at the suggestion of the CHRO. He denies disclosing anything that wasn’t public, including to the press, and has repeatedly asked officials to “simply ask the reporter”, which, he notes, wouldn’t cost anything.
In a statement to the board, Arriola said his “involvement” in personnel matters was not one of interference, adding, “I will never turn away from someone who asks me to listen. Never. There is no job or role in this world that’s worth turning your back on a human being in need.”
Arriola has also filed a complaint with the CHRO, alleging retaliation due to his advocacy of school employees who filed discrimination complaints against school officials. Connecticut General Statutes 46a-60(b) (1) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits actions “against any person because such person has opposed any discriminatory employment practice or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or assisted in any proceeding under section 46a-82, 46a-83 or 46a-84.”
The alleged retaliation includes the investigation into Arriola’s conduct, the suggestion by a board member that he be removed from the board, or censured, his removal from all committees, and several serious allegations publicly leveled against him at the September 19, 2024 board meeting, which Arriola has labeled “unsubstantiated, slanderous, and false”.
In an effort to resolve issues raised in the CHRO complaint amicably, Chairman Becker, Superintendent Skarzynski and Arriola participated in a meeting this summer which was characterized as “positive”. The results were announced at the board meeting, with Becker reading from a written statement: “We agreed that the board needs to re-engage in various ad-hoc committees and all the members of the board will be asked to participate. It was also recognized that the entire board needs to work together with the primary goal to support all kids. Improvements are needed in board practice and we need to ensure that across the table we treat each other with respect, listen to the different viewpoints and continue to participate in board presentations and board training, including those related to diversity and equity, all while holding our members responsible for proper behavior but not by singling them out.”
There have been no public updates on further discussions and resolutions.
Gazette Staff