UPDATE: School leaders support official, the target of racial slur

Feb. 27—Lowell School Committee member Robert Hoey Jr. has resigned via social media after referring to a Gloucester Public Schools administrator by an anti-Semitic slur.

Meanwhile, in Gloucester, schools leaders are showing support for Gary Frisch, who left a job as a Lowell Public Schools administrator to become the director of finance and operations for Gloucester schools in the summer of 2018.

While hosting the morning show "City Life"' on Lowell local cable on Feb. 24, Hoey used the slur in reference to Frisch, as was first reported by the Jewish Journal.

"We lost the k***, I mean the Jewish guy. I hate to say it but that's what people used to say behind his back — Gary Frisch ... He was the guy in charge of our budget," said Hoey.

Gloucester Superintendent Ben Lummis wrote to the city school community Friday to address the incident.

"I am deeply saddened that Mr. Frisch was attacked in this way. Gary is our colleague," Lummis wrote "Unfortunately, this is not just another example of the growing number of anti-Semitic attacks and the increase in racist and anti-immigrant acts we have seen in our society."

"We need to stand up to hate every day, whenever it happens," Lummis added. "Every time an act of hatred is ignored or passed by, our society becomes a little less safe for all of us. As educators, parents, community members or elected officials, we are role models for the children in our midst. They learn from what we say and from our silence."

Lummis said in the letter that Mayor Sefatia Theken Romeo and Gloucester School Committee members also had reached out to Frisch to show support.

Friday morning in a roughly 7-minute video posted on Hoey's Facebook page, he says "I resign today."

The video shows Hoey standing between two rocks in front of a school while clad in a gray long-sleeved shirt emblazoned with the word "Army."' In the video, Hoey apologizes multiple times, commenting on how much he loves his family, and how he is grateful for the time he had on the committee.

By Friday afternoon the video had been taken down from his Facebook page.

Phil Geoffrey, the communication assistant in the Lowell City Manager's Office, said he had not received any official resignation papers from Hoey as of Friday afternoon, the Lowell Sun reported.

Lowell Mayor John Leahy had requested that the Lowell City Council and School Committee hold a joint meeting to demand the immediate resignation of Hoey shortly after the show aired.

"Earlier today, a member of the Lowell School Committee, Robert Hoey, used an offensive and repulsive racial slur on a televised morning show. As a result, I am calling Lowell's elected officials to join me in demanding the immediate resignation of Robert Hoey as a member of the Lowell School Committee," Leahy said in a statement. "Throughout this academic year, this School Committee has focused on issues of equity and racial equality in our schools and in our community. To fully represent the interest and diversity of our students and our community, we must not only join together in rejecting this language, but continue working towards that more perfect union."

Lowell Public School Superintendent Dr. Joel D. Boyd added that, "as your superintendent, I want to be clear that there is no place in our community — whether in the boardroom, on television, or in the classroom — for anti-Semitism, racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, or any other form of bias-based conduct. The word used by Committee Member Hoey on 'City Life' was abhorrent and unacceptable in any setting."

The Lowell Sun reported the 'City Life' episode has been removed from the cable station's rotation.

Frisch did not return the Times' inquiry for comment.

Staff writer Taylor Ann Bradford can be reached at 978-675-2705 or tbradford@gloucestertimes.com.