BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION NOV. 12-4, 2026) — NEWS FLASH!

Beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday (tomorrow) night, there will be a public execution in council chambers. School Committee member Ciara Batory will face a firing squad. Her crime? Asking too many questions. Being to inquisitive about the rampant secrecy with which the school department operates.

What? You hadn’t heard about it? You mean to tell THE PLANET that those fierce bastions of crusading journalism, The Boring Broadsheet and iBoikshares didn’t break the news?

We’re shocked.

Shocked.

———- ooo ———-

“The squeaky wheel gets the oil” according to the dusty saying. In Bitchfield, the squeaky wheel gets the dunking bench then two in the hat.

Example: Terry Kinnas. He served on the School Committee some years back and brought with him the investigatory skills for which he became known. This included lots of questions, pressing for answers, and making it known he wasn’t happy with a board that had grown way too cozy with the superintendent, school department, and the teachers’ union. His “impertinence” for having the audacity to not roll over and play dead got him rolled.

A current example of this sort of legalized hit will unfold tomorrow night (Thursday) at 6 p.m. in council chambers, as the worthless Sochol Committee meets. Here’s agenda item VII, “Executive Session … to discuss a complaint or charge against a public officer, staff member[,] or individual (School Committee Member).”

———- ooo ———-

The member to be dragged before the Star Chamber is Ciara Batory. She protested loudly when the SC agreed to hide the report on the PHS scandals. The panel stuffed her. The latest action against Batory comes from the United Educators of Pittsfield, the unchecked gang that has held up taxpayers, demanding the store.

On Oct. 28, the UEP president Jim Hurley sent a complaint to mayor Peter Marchetti in his ex-officio role as SC chair. Quoting from Hurley’s filing: “The UEP [has] serious concerns regarding the conduct of School Committee member Ciara Batory … we are concerned that Ms. Batory has repeatedly inserted herself, as an individual School Committee member, into complaints and personnel matters involving teachers … and … school employees.”

Hurley goes on to blast Batory for publicly questioning “a recent personnel matter involving a UEP bargaining unit member … among other things she publicly questioned what corrective or disciplinary action had been taken, discussed whether the employee should be held accountable, stated she had contacted school administrators regarding the matter, and encouraged people with accusations or concerns involving teachers …”

———- ooo ———-

The union asks Marchetti to “Formally review Ms. Batory’s overall conduct, … including her social media activity,”  to “formally censure” her, “Take meaningful corrective action that reflects the seriousness and overall pattern of Ms. Batory’s conduct,” and to make sure that no SC member “inserts themselves into employee complaints or personnel matters.”

In short, the union, which controls every politician in town, wants to “out” Batory for …

… for doing her job.

The unions wants the SC, the Superintendent, and everyone else in public office to mind their own business, preserve the status quo, and continue to run this $130 million, failing department in secret, with everyone “playing ball” and not pursuing complaints except within “the administrative chain of command.” Where the bad juju, including criminal actions, will be hidden. Dancing Dean, anyone?

On Oct. 25, Marchetti sent a letter by certified mail to Batory at her home notifying her of the union indictment, saying that SC trial (THE PLANET‘s word, not Marchetti’s) on Nov. 12 “will be held in executive session, unless you request that the meeting be held in open session.

THE PLANET predicts that Batory will demand a public hearing. That’s her style.

This will make riveting political theater. It will also serve as a warning to ANY public official or employee of the consequences of speaking out or whistle blowing. Be careful and on your guard, Cam “Bam” Cunningham.

In Bitchfield, War is Peace. Lies are Truth.

————————————————————-

“In public policy and action, secrecy’s first casualty is the truth” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

Copyright (c) 2026 By Dan Valenti, PLANET VALENTI and EUROPOLIS MANAGEMENT. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. Those who leave comments own all the responsibilities that are or can be attached to those comments, be they rhetorical, semantic, or legal. Such commentators remain solely responsible for what they post and shall be and remain solely accountable for their words. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in, but not limited to, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. We serve as a marketplace of ideas, without prejudice and available to all. All users of this site — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else — hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice and their use of/participation in this site. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.