Fired Football Coach Goes On Offense, Sues District | Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, Feb. 22. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A former high school football coach who was sacked by the district is suing, saying he was fired for exercising his First Amendment rights.
• Boston Calling is the latest large-scale event to have its plug pulled by the pandemic.
• Newton mayor wants the state to keep a closer eye on Boston College amid a coronavirus spike.

Scroll down for those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Monday’s Top Story

A former Dedham High School football coach is going on the offensive after losing his job over what the lawsuit says was "exercising his First Amendment rights."

A lawsuit claims David Flynn was fired in retaliation for speaking against his daughter's class curriculum. Flynn raised concerns about his daughter's history curriculum which included topics on gender equality, race, stereotypes and diversity along with imagery that included the Black Lives Matter logo.

The lawsuit says Flynn and his wife approached the principal and teacher with their concerns about the curriculum, particularly the visuals of the teacher's animated character wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt, and the principal responded. Flynn and his wife felt the concerns weren't addressed, according to the lawsuit and brought things to the School Committee but ultimately chose to remove their children from the Dedham School District.

Nearby News

• Malden No Longer High Risk As COVID Numbers Drop 'Significantly': This is the first time since early November, when the state revised its high-risk threshold, that Malden has been moderate risk.
• Winter Weather Poses New Challenge For Fall Sports In Reading: A shortage of indoor facilities means sports like track have been moved outdoors. But snow and ice have been tough to remove from fields.
• Battle Road Scenic Byway Named MA's First All-American Road: The byway, which includes Arlington, follows the path of British regulars during the early battles of the American Revolution.

Today’s Other Top Stories In Massachusetts

Boston Canceled: Boston Calling, the music festival that has emerged as one of the most anticipated events kicking off the summer, has been canceled due to the pandemic for the second straight year. Festival organizers said they agreed with city and state authorities that it was still too dangerous to host the weekend concert series. Tickets for 2021 will be honored in 2022. Anyone who would like a refund can go here.

Keep an eye on them: Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wants the state to strengthen its oversight of Boston College as the school has experienced a spike in coronavirus cases. "While the number of new cases in Newton are moving in the right direction, we're continuing to see a concerning number of cases at Boston College," said Fuller in a statement. During the two-week period from Jan. 31 to Feb. 13, members of the Boston College community, who live in Newton on and off campus, accounted for about 36 percent of Newton's total number of cases, or 76 of the city's 208 cases, the mayor said.

Around Town

• Reading Names Christine Amendola Deputy Police Chief
• Another Marijuana Establishment Eyes Newton
• Feds Drop Appeal That Threatened Mashpee Wampanoag's Reservation
• Salem Double Stabbing On Boston Street Sunday Night
• Milford Group Makes Case For Town Dog Park