Friday, May 22

Hear that? That's the sound of busy. To a restaurant, all that shouting and banging might as well be a symphony. It means the long days and longer nights are paying off. Sure, it's noisy. But there's a worse sound. This. Not busy. Busy means business. Which is why Toast gives restaurants the tools and tech they need to help them perform under pressure. Sounds pretty good, right? Toast. Built for busy. What? WBSM presents The Barry Richards Show. Streaming live on WBSM.com and the WBSM app. Call 508-996-0500. Text us using AppChat on the WBSM app. Now, The Barry Richards Show. 108 on a Friday afternoon. Thanks for being here. 508-996-0500. Happy Memorial Day weekend to you. And certainly not going to be a cookout on Sunday, but the parade should get in on Monday. And hopefully you'll turn out for that. And remember those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice. It's not too much to ask to turn out for the parade, right? So there's this troubling case out of Rochester. And we're kind of getting pushed to the back of things here because of all that's been happening in New Bedford. But I wanted to get it out before the week was over. And Tri-Town Community News reported this week that parents have filed a federal civil rights complaint against the old Rochester Regional School District. Demanding that the school ensures the privacy and safety of their daughter and all other female students at Rochester Memorial School. Tri-Town reports the parents of a nine-year-old girl at Rochester Memorial School have alleged sexual harassment of their daughter by a boy who identifies as a girl in the girl's restroom at Rochester Memorial School. And that, quote, the school has responded to this sexual harassment in a deliberately indifferent manner. Failing to protect their daughter as required under the law. The parents say, quote, multiple other families have complained about this male student using the girl's restrooms, but the administration has done nothing. Tri-Town quotes parents from their letter to the old Rochester District. On the afternoon of Friday, May 1, 2026, after recess, their daughter was using the toilet in the girl's restroom during the school day when the male student entered the restroom and looked under the door of their daughter's stall. Their daughter heard him say, whose feet are those? And he began to peer in at their daughter through the crack between the door and the wall of the stall she was in. Then the male student pushed the door open, exposing their daughter while she was on the toilet and partially undressed. The male then stated, quote, oh, it's their daughter. Their daughter closed the door and returned to class distraught and in tears. It's reporting from Tri-Town Community News. Copy of the letter in hand here. It says my daughter is a nine year old third grade student. The name is redacted. My daughter redacted is a nine year old third grade student at Rochester Memorial School in Rochester, Massachusetts. On Friday, May 1, 2026, redacted was sexually harassed in the girl's restroom by a male third grade student named redacted. The student entered the girl's restroom, saw my daughter's feet under the door of the toilet stall she was in and exclaimed, whose feet are those? He then peered into the stall while she was using the toilet and pushed open the door and looked at her while she was partially undressed. He stated, oh, it's redacted. There was at least one other female student in the restroom at the time whose name is redacted. After the male student left, my daughter returned to class crying and extremely distraught. She is physically sick and anxious now about going to school because she fears that she will be sexually harassed again. The male student has a history of such conduct, including peering under the stall while another girl was in the toilet because the student identifies as female. The school has taken no action against him and continues to allow him to use the girl's restroom. The school has suggested that if my daughter feels uncomfortable, she can go out of her way to use a single occupancy restroom or the nurse's restroom. The school claims it is bound by Massachusetts law to allow boys into girls' restrooms if they identify as girls. Multiple other families have complained about this male student using the girls' restroom, but the administration has done nothing. I also have a copy of the Title IX Complaint in Demand from the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center dated May 19, addressed to Michael S. Nelson, who's superintendent, Heidi Latender, who's the principal, Jamie Curley, who's assistant superintendent of student services, and Sarah George, who's human resources manager. This thing is multiple pages long. It's very thick. I'm not going to read the entire thing. I'll read just the opening paragraphs here. It says, I represent Luis and Kerry Rivera, parents of Redacted Rivera, who is a third-grade student at Rochester Memorial School, here and after the school. I write to file a formal Title IX Complaint on behalf of my clients under the Rochester School Committee policy and to demand that the school ensures the privacy and safety of Redacted and all other female students at Rochester Memorial School going forward. To the Rivera's knowledge, there are two male students at the school who identify as female. One of these students, Redacted, here and after the male student, recently began using the girls' restroom. In response, multiple parents, including the Rivera's, complained. The school administration, Kerry Rivera, called principal attender on at least three separate occasions to complain and was told that the male student should not be using the girls' restroom and would not be allowed to do so going forward. Ms. Rivera first called to complain in November of 2025 after the male student used the girls' restroom with female students on a field trip to Plymouth Plantation. However, on the afternoon of Friday, May 1, 2026, after recess, Redacted was using the toilet of the girls' restroom. During the school day, when the male student entered the restroom and looked under the door of Redacted's stall, Redacted heard him say, Whose feet are these? And he began to peer in at Redacted through the crack between the door and the wall of the stall she was in. Then the male student pushed the door open, exposing Redacted while she was on the toilet and partially undressed. The male student then stated, Oh, it's Redacted. Redacted closed the door and returned to class distraught in tears. Another female student, Redacted, was in the stall next to Redacted and would have heard the incident occurring. Now Redacted is afraid to be around a male student and is so anxious to go to school every day that she feels physically sick. Kerry has now heard from another parent that the same male student peered under the stall door at another girl while she was using the restroom. We're talking third graders here, third graders in Rochester. When Kerry Rivera initially notified Principal Letendre of the incident via phone call on Monday, May 4th, Principal Letendre was apologetic and stated that what happened was unacceptable. She also stated the male student or that male students were not allowed into the girls' restrooms. However, later that day, Redacted observed the male student using the girls' restroom again. Kerry emailed Principal Letendre and Superintendent Nelson on May 4th to report the incident with Redacted in writing. Principal Letendre responded on May 5th by stating that unfortunately the bathroom door wasn't locked by Redacted and suggested that Redacted could use the individual bathroom or nurse's bathroom if she felt uncomfortable. Can you believe that? The school is now trying to blame the young girl? Well, unfortunately the door wasn't locked. So the male student saw the feet under the door and said whose feet are those and then pushed the door open. But she didn't have the door locked. So it's her fault, unfortunately. Principal Letendre responded on May 5th by stating unfortunately the bathroom door wasn't locked by Redacted and suggested that Redacted could use the individual bathroom or nurse's bathroom if she felt uncomfortable. The school enacted a student support safety plan outlining these items. Principal Letendre also stated that Redacted and the male student were not to be in the bathroom at the same time. But he did not state that the student could not use the girls' restroom. Principal Letendre also told Redacted directly that the male student was legally allowed to use the girls' restroom. Mr. and Mrs. Rivera learned about this conversation from Redacted and were not informed about it by Principal Letendre. What a crap show, huh? No pun intended. On May 6th, Kerry Rivera asked Principal Letendre to explain the discrepancy between her initial statement that boys were not allowed into the girls' restrooms and the school's decision that now allows this male student into the girls' restroom. Principal Letendre responded on May 7th stating that we are following the legal obligations as a public school which were outlined in DESC guidance on gender identity in public schools. The complaint goes on to cite the applicable law. If I was the father of that young lady, had got up and smacked that superintendent across the side of the head with my fist, I could say, well, he didn't lock the door so I couldn't get in. Is that the same basic? Yeah. Oh, you forgot to duck, right? So you walked into my fist. He wouldn't have gotten in there to see her with her pants off if, you know, the door had been locked. So shame on her. But the you know, the other point is that it just went right out of my head. Oh, my God. What was I going to say? What's the other brain? Oh, suggesting that the young girl. Well, gee, if she feels uncomfortable, she can use a private stall to go in the nurse's room. I got a better idea. I don't know what the population is of this memorial grade school, but I'm sure it's probably a few hundred students. Why should the few hundred students who don't want male peepers going into the bath? Why should they have to go and use a separate bathroom? Why doesn't this person who has a special need, why isn't that person not required to use the special bathroom and leave the rest of the population of the school alone? Because that's the new thing. You punish everybody. So it's spread out and then it all becomes normal. That's just their stupidity of their thinking of how to handle it. That's a bunch of bull. You've got to get back to where the person that's doing the wrong is the wrong person to help. You help them, but you don't help them do more of what they want to do. That is crazy. Thank you, my friend. Appreciate your call. 508-996-0500. Let me grab a real quick break. We're going to come back and get your calls next. Today on the pod, we're talking to Joan, a method actor and scratchers enthusiast. So, Joan, what do you like about playing scratchers? Well, as a method actor, it's about becoming the ticket scratching up and down, stage left, stage right. So what's your motivation? Because your performance feels so real. Oh, I was just tapping into my inner scratchers. Incredible. Yes. Bravo me. Scratchers from the California Lottery. A little play can make your day. Please play responsibly. Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play or claim. Hear that? That's the sound of busy. To a restaurant, all that shouting and banging might as well be a symphony. It means the long days and longer nights are paying off. Sure, it's noisy, but there's a worse sound. This, not busy. Busy means business, which is why Toast gives restaurants the tools and tech they need to help them perform under pressure. Sounds pretty good, right? Toast, built for busy. Back to Barry Richard on WBSM. Call 508-996-0500. As I was walking down the street one day. Came up to me at times that was on my watch. 133 on a Friday afternoon, partly sunny skies. There's some breaking news that Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her position as the director of national intelligence. Tulsi Gabbard announcing her resignation to the president this morning in a meeting. She will be supporting her husband. Apparently, he's been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. And so Gabbard notified Trump this morning that she will be stepping down as of June 30th. And unfortunately, I must submit my resignation effective June 30th, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through his battle, she said. His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge, she continued. I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time consuming position. So thoughts and prayers to the Gabbards and hope everything turns out well there. Yeah, this is sick that the school departments get to use Desi as the way out. These people are making choices that are harming children. And why can't they make the child who has a mental illness and thinks that he's a girl go to a nurse's bathroom? Why does the general public be harassed? And the fact that he knew that there was feet under that door shows that he did something wrong. It's one thing to open a door and not know. But he actually acknowledged that he knew somebody was in there and he opened the door. Doesn't matter whether it was locked or not, the fact that he knew that somebody was in there. And where does a third grader get off harassing a girl? He knew that somebody was in there. He was in a girl's room and he opened the door. That to me is almost like a predator. It might be a child, but it's still a predator because he knew that there was a person in there and he opened the door anyway. Yeah, and apparently, at least according to the complaint, this male student is known for going in and being disruptive in the ladies room. So, you know, here's the other thing, too. The federal government, through Trump's administration, almost immediately upon taking office, overturned the provision of Title IX that allowed males to use female bathrooms in public schools. If you remember during Obama's administration, Obama threatened. I can remember having Shauna O'Connell on the air at the time. And she was, I think, still state rep and her kids were her girls were young. And, you know, she was angry as hell because Obama threatened to take penalize local districts. They would lose their federal funding if they didn't open their bathroom, girls' bathrooms and showers and locker rooms in schools to to males. And I remember Shauna O'Connell was you know, she was beside herself at that. But since Trump came in, he reversed that. And that is no longer true. So D.E.S.E. knows that the. Oh, they do. Yeah. And of course, they know that. They absolutely know that. And you know damn well that they put a memo out to all school departments all across the state. And so if the folks in Rochester are pretending they didn't know, then, you know, something's wrong there. We need this is not the first problem we've had down with the Rochester school system. We had the books, you know, the dirty books in the in the libraries down there we had at the high school. They had the the transgender day where all the kids had to get together in the lobby and celebrate transgender day and and stuff like that. I mean, this is ridiculous. It sounds like you have a sick administration that is actually supporting this woke agenda. But the problem here, too, is is D.E.S.E. And they have to give wrong grades in the sense that if a kid doesn't attend school and gets a zero, the teachers can't give that kid a zero. They want the teachers to fudge the grades so they don't have the failing grades and have a true idea of what's going on. Teachers are really upset because they're asking teachers to lie about grades and school departments, including. I spoke with a school committee member in New Bedford. They're aware that this is actually going on. It's been going on quietly, but it hasn't never been in writing. This year, D.E.S.E. put the policy in place that teachers have to lie. No kid gets below a 50. So they're asking teachers to lie on grades so that things don't look as bad or they don't get a real picture of what's going on. D.E.S.E. needs towns and cities to start taking votes with no confidence in D.E.S.E. and get those people out of there. We need them replaced. The school committee should be taking votes of no confidence in our government and D.E.S.E. But when we and you know, the thing is, the teachers get the rap for it. If we graduate a bunch of ding dongs that don't know anything, it comes back on the teachers. Well, you know, we got lousy teachers. They're not teaching our kids. But the reality is you've got you've got these woke people on the on the state level and the education boards. And it's not just here. It's all across the country. They're twisting the teacher's arms. They're twisting their arms to do bad things, unethical things. And this this is the reason that the people, the board at the D.E.S.E. board needs to be removed. They are not accountable and they're not responsible. They're actually doing wrong. Well, I hope there's a big, full fledged investigation into what's going on in Rochester and in the education system in general here in Massachusetts, because I've seen a lot of things I don't like going on here between these kind of things and the opening of, you know, the vocational schools to a lottery system as opposed to a, you know, a system by which kids are admitted by through merit. You know, how about that? Good grades, good attendance and manners and behavior and all that. Gee, that's that's so so racist and so unfair to admit people based on those criteria. But schools and schools are a mess, especially the public school systems. And they're reversing. They're reversing the path to excellence. Yeah. They're rewarding people who don't do things right. And that's that's why you've got to you've got to cut the head off and start over, because if the people at the top are actually acknowledging they know something is wrong and they want you to fudge it or to hide what's actually going wrong, they're culpable. They're more culpable than anybody else. And they're harming the students. They're harming the students because lying in in goosing the grades up. That's not helping the students in any way. Thank you, my friend. Good call. I appreciate that. Five away. Nine, nine, six. Oh, five hundred is a number. You're up next in WBS. I'm going to have to know. Hey, Barry, how are you? Good. How you doing? Interesting topic. You said something at the beginning when you were reading the document. You said the document referenced sexual harassment, like three or four or five times. I think that's really interesting because it's never this whole thing about, you know, transgender and bathrooms and access. It's never really positioned around sexual harassment. But the fact of the matter is, you know, like when I first got into business and, you know, I had at least twenty five hours of sexual harassment training, two different classes, class one and class two. And so we knew how to by the time we were done, unless you're an idiot, you knew how to to work in an office full of different types of people, male, female, gay, whatever, and not to put people in a position where they felt compromised in any way. You know, I know two people I worked with at a trade show. It got written up by HR for sexual harassment because a comment they made in front of other people with women in front of them. But yet here we are now. These are these are adult training, how adults can handle each other. Now, when you get to kids, that's all that doesn't matter. How is that possible? The kids should actually be the ones that get trained first on this sort of stuff. But but you've opened the door, literally the bathroom door. And you're saying, well, there is no sexual harassment here because Johnny thinks he's Janie. And Janie gets to go in the bathroom with, you know, Isabel. And if he kicks the door open on Isabel while she's taking a leak and Isabel feels completely harassed, she'll have to wait till she's an adult, both of them, and to get the right training. Yeah. And, you know, there are two there are two issues to this. And there's that line in the middle, as they usually are. It usually is in these kind of cases. So the other the boy who goes in thinking he's a girl goes into the to the girls room thinking that he's doing the OK thing, I guess. Right. Because that used to be the law that allowed them to do that. But once you push that, once you look down and say whose feet are these and then you push the door open, that takes this whole debate to a different level. That is no longer just, you know, equity for, you know, men who think that they're girls to be able to use the bathroom of their choice or the bathroom of, you know, whatever they think they're, you know, whatever gender they think they belong to. That's one thing. But once you say whose feet are these and you push that door open, that takes that to a whole different level. And that's criminal at that point. Privacy is at the threshold, Barry. Yeah. Not inside the door. Yeah, that's that's really it's an ABC simple schoolyard. Simple thing is when you enter the threshold of the doorway going into the bathroom, you know, if it's got a female sign on it, you know, international female sign, you shouldn't be in there. And I don't really care what these idiots think, because we all know that transgenderism is not about sexuality, the way you're born. It's about how you feel about yourself. Well, that person should use the unisex bathroom, not the female bathroom. So, you know, it's it's all bad, Barry. But when you when you mentioned sexual harassment, it really clicked because it was like, you know what, this is all sexual harassment. And you have to wait till you're an adult to get trained on what what to do and not to do. And it should start when you're a kid and they should protect kids more than anybody. Unfortunately, you know, unfortunately, you know, when I was a kid, I learned about, you know, all kinds of stuff. But I didn't learn about sexual harassment. We didn't have to. But it's a whole new world now. Thank you, Steve. I appreciate it, my friend. 508-996-0500. Got to get a break and we're coming right. Today on the pod, we're talking to Joan, a method actor and scratchers enthusiast. So, Joan, what do you like about playing scratchers? Well, as a method actor, it's about becoming the ticket scratching up, down, stage left, stage right. So what's your motivation? Because your performance feels so real. Oh, I was just tapping into my inner scratchers. Incredible. Yes. Bravo me. Scratchers from the California lottery. A little play can make your day. Please play responsibly. Must be 18 years or older to purchase player claim. Hear that? That's the sound of busy to a restaurant. All that shouting and banging might as well be a symphony. It means the long days and longer nights are paying off. Sure, it's noisy, but there's a worse sound. This, not busy. Busy means business, which is why Toast gives restaurants the tools and tech they need to help them perform under pressure. Sounds pretty good, right? Toast, built for busy. Back to Barry Richard on WBSM. Call 508-996-0500. I close my eyes, only for all my dreams. Past before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind. All they are is dust in the wind. All right, 149. It is a Friday afternoon, 508-996-0500. It's going to be kind of a cloudy day tomorrow and then heavy rain on Sunday. Monday, well, you know, going to be better than Sunday anyway. And long weekend is here. I guess this is our our toll as we get through winter and pass into summer season. We've got to pay a toll and this is our toll. So whatever, we will enjoy ourselves this weekend anyway. The parade takes place in the rain. So put on your rain gear on Monday and head out there. Hey, listen, if you struggle to hear when you're out in people, in crowds or even at home trying to watch TV or whatever, you want to see Duncan here in health care. And summer is, you know, summer's here. You want to be able to enjoy the conversations when everybody's gathered on the deck or at the beach or whatever and stop pretending you can hear. You want to enjoy every moment of your life. Untreated hearing loss doesn't just affect conversations. It can significantly increase your risk of cognitive decline, including dementia and Alzheimer's. That doesn't mean if you've got hearing loss, you're going to get dementia. That just means it increases the odds. It's all due to brain fatigue from constant listening effort. Even a mild untreated hearing loss can dramatically increase your risk of failing. Duncan Hearing Health Care. They have new functional hearing assessment measures to determine how well you can hear in background noise. And it evaluates your listening effort compared to hearing with advanced hearing devices like the ones that I have. Hear your best this summer. Visit Duncan Hearing Health Care. You want to do it today. You want to contact them. DuncanHearing.com. Call them. 508-910-2221. Duncan Hearing Health Care with locations throughout the region, including Fall River. And right out there in Dartmouth, 106, Hyannis, Centerville. And just fabulous people. And when you contact Duncan Hearing Health Care, please tell them that Barry sent you. All right. Disturbing case we've been talking about this hour. About an 8-year-old girl in the Rochester school system. Memorial. Rochester Memorial. Filing a complaint. Family's filed a complaint. And a suit, I believe. A federal complaint, anyway. I'm not sure if a suit is being filed. Daughter. 8-year-old daughter. Goes to the girls' room. Third grade. Goes to the girls' room in the school. And there's a boy who has been told by his parents that he's a girl. And goes into the restroom. And apparently makes others in there feel uncomfortable. This little girl was sitting on the can. And this boy walks in. And looks and sees her shoes under the stalled door. And says, whose feet are those? And then pushes the stalled door open and catches her taking a leak. And the girl is mortified. As well she should be. She's been violated. There's a debate over whether boys should be able to use girls' bathrooms. That was the law. Under Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Trump changed the law immediately. Said this is unacceptable. Can't happen anymore. But when the little girl's parents complained to school officials. They lied to her. At least according to the complaint. They lied to her and said this can happen under the law. And then he admitted it can't happen under the law. Now according to the parents who filed the complaint. This has happened to other kids as well. Similar things. You know it's one thing for a little boy who's been told that he's a girl. To be confused about where to go to the bathroom. Going into the restroom is one thing. Still not supposed to do it. It's one thing. It's another thing to acknowledge that there is someone sitting on the can behind that door. And then pushing the door open. That certainly is if it did happen that way. That certainly is a violation. Keep in mind too. It's not just Biden and Obama. As bad as those two clowns were. Charlie Baker signed a transgender bathroom bill into law in Massachusetts. If you remember that. Like on a Friday night. So it got a little press. But it did happen right here in Massachusetts. It's just absolutely an abomination. And I'm with a gentleman who called me a little while ago. And said if that was my eight year old girl. I'd punch that principal right in the side of the head. For saying that. But something's got to change. Our world is just totally crazy. And it takes more parents. Stand up. Fight back. Push back. Taxpayers. Stand up. Push back. And vote. Right. You got to vote. 508-996-0500. I got to take a break. That's what I got to do. Carry on. Hi 159 on a Friday afternoon. Happy Memorial Day to you. The sun keeps poking through. And that's a nice thing right. Always enjoy it when the sun's out. So we are going to pause for the news. We've got to do that. Because we've got to pay the bills. And you know Tim and Chris make a lot a lot of money. So we've got to pay the bills. So we can pay them. And we're going to come back though. We are going to come back. We're going to do ABC News. Followed by WBSN News with Mike Roberts. And the WPRI-12 forecast for the Labor Day week and the long weekend ahead. And then we'll check back in for one more hour right here before we hand things off to Howie Carr. Hear that? That's the sound of busy. To a restaurant, all that shouting and banging might as well be a symphony. It means the long days and longer nights are paying off. Sure, it's noisy. But there's a worse sound. This. Not busy. Busy means business. Which is why Toast gives restaurants the tools and tech they need to help them perform under pressure. Sounds pretty good, right? Toast. Built for busy. Today on the pod, we're talking to Joan, a method actor and Scratchers enthusiast. So, Joan, what do you like about playing Scratchers? Well, as a method actor, it's about becoming the ticket. Scratching up, down, stage left, stage right. So what's your motivation? Because your performance feels so real. Oh, I was just tapping into my inner Scratchers. Incredible. Yes. Bravo me. Scratchers, from the California Lottery. A little play can make your day. Please play responsibly. Joan must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.