2019 school event deserves investigation

To the Editor,

On Sept. 6, 2019, I was wrongfully arrested while picking up my daughter at dismissal. The teacher knew I was picking her up as it was discussed at the meet and greet the week prior and in the email I had sent that morning.

On Sept. 6, the Principal of George Peters, Janet Antonelli, decided to revoke my parental rights; even after confirming with the police officer that I was in the system and did have the right to pick up my child.

She then sent the police officer to detain me and ultimately arrest me in front of my then nine-year-old daughter. No court order existed, no police report against me. Nothing. This principal made a decision that changed my daughter’s life and mine forever.

On the day in question, I was picking my daughter up at dismissal. I later found out that the mother of my child had me removed from the Emergency Care Card we had filled out a week prior at George Peters meet and greet. On Cranston’s ECC, there is no place that states these names are for regular dismissal. It’s for early dismissal and emergency reasons – none of which my pick-up was.

My wrongful arrest happened in front of my daughter when she was nine. The very same night, I was able to pick her up around 9:45 p.m. from her mother. Her mother did not stop her from leaving.

I called Superintendent Nota-Nasse a number of times to address this matter along with stop by the Briggs Building to speak with her in person. She did not return my phone calls. On Oct. 30, 2019, I sent an email asking to address what happened on Sept. 6. I was seeking my due process/hearing on the matter. I was denied because I had a lawyer for the arrest. I was never given the opportunity by the Cranston School Committee to have a hearing to address my concerns about my parental rights being taken away by Principal Antonelli.

Covid Hit. The world shut down.

October 2021. My daughter is now in middle school at Western Hills. She sends a text stating she has had an accident and needs to change her pants ASAP. It being feminine in nature, we go to pick her up right away, about 8:15 a.m. The school has the wrong court order. I explain. They do not believe me. They call the mother of my daughter. She lied, saying there is not another court order. This ends in my arrest and assault. The police assaulted me so badly that they had to take me to the ER after arresting me. The kicker is my fiancé goes back to the school the next day to bring the correct court order. When she hands it to Principal Vesey, he states to her, “well if we would of had that yesterday, things would of gone differently.”

This wrongful arrest and violent assault brought up the 2019 wrongful arrest as the SRO officers made a statement that I did the same thing at George Peters. Neither one of these is the same and in both incidents I was correct. I have and still do have the right to my child.

I again begin to try to get accountability for what happened in 2019. I met with School Committee members Mancuso and Traficante in March of 2022 and explained it all. No hearing, no protocol was followed. We called on them in their School Committee roles. Yet nothing was done.

In April of 2022 after meeting with them and getting no results. We serve the Cranston School Committee with letters of intent. They knowingly ignored any and all attempts to address this matter. The Interlocal trust states there is no wrongdoing, yet never provides a report or asks us for our proof to the contrary.

We reach out to RIDE, asking for them to have a hearing. They tell us that we need to again ask the School Committee for a hearing. If denied, then we can ask RIDE for a hearing to address the matter. We readdress the School Committee and ask the Chair Dan Wall to have a hearing to discuss Janet Antonelli overstepping her authority and revoking Josh’s parental right. We now have done this multiple times, but we again follow the protocol asked.

The response from the Cranston School Committee Chair Dan Wall on Aug. 24, 2022, is that the situation is a “moot” point as the principal in question just retired. Since when does retirement remove responsibility for your actions when employed?

Now that we again have a denial, we reached back out to RIDE and Attorney Cottone and asked again for a hearing. Via RIDE’s policy, the Commissioner Infante-Green has the power to get involved even without a denial. We submitted the request and hear nothing back. We go in person only to be told by Attorney Cottone that there are more serious problems, and we will get to your grievances when we get to them. Are you kidding me?

My fiancé and I both have wrongful and unconstitutional “No Trespass Orders” against us for my daughter’s school and the Briggs Administration building – which is illegal as they are public buildings. My child attends school at Western Hills, and I have missed out on parent-teacher conferences, my child’s first band concert and will continue to be excluded from more of my child’s first experiences because the Cranston School department has these illegal No Trespass Orders against us.

I want an open independent investigation into these events – beginning with the 2019 incident that started it all. How was Cynthia McCall allowed to remove a biological father off school records without a court order? Principal Antonelli had no reason to single me out that day and revoke my parental rights. Accountability needs to happen. My daughter and I have suffered greatly since that day. Principal Antonelli’s actions were uncalled for. Prove us wrong Cranston. I have documents backing up my statements. Let’s finally lay all the cards out to get to the truth.

Sincerely,

The Mello Family

Supporting officer response, 2019 incident

To the Editor,

I support the actions of the Officers who arrested Joshua Mello at the Western Hills Middle School on 10/21/21. Mr. Mello was disrupting the school by yelling in the foyer, which could be heard inside the area reserved for students and staff. School administrators placed the school in “lockdown” status to ensure the safety of the students and staff. Responding Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, but Mr. Mello remained loud and belligerent toward them and the school personnel. The Officers then instructed Mr. Mello to leave, and he refused, at which time the Officers attempted to place him under arrest. Mr. Mello resisted arrest and was found to have three knives on his person, including one with a blade over 3”. Mr. Mello was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, and Weapons Prohibited Other than Firearms. These charges are allegations pending in court at this time and are being prosecuted by the City Solicitor. Safety in our schools remains our highest priority. The Cranston Police Department will continue to work closely with the Cranston Public Schools administration to achieve this goal.

Col. Michael Winquist

Cranston Chief of Police