April Fools joke riles Marblehead board members

MARBLEHEAD – School Committee Jonathan Lederman issued a “No School” message on April Fool?s Day as a prank – but some of his colleagues weren?t laughing Thursday night.Lederman told the committee Thursday that April 1 was former Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac?s last day working in Marblehead, and it was also Dulac?s birthday – so he sent a pre-recorded Dulac telephone message canceling school due to inclement weather to Dulac and School Committee members, as a joke.He pointed out that school was held as usual, despite the April Fool?s Day storm, and “Kids were not kept from schools.”However, School Committee member Patricia Blackmer reminded Lederman that he mis-used a town emergency network for his joke and “mis-appropriated Dulac?s voice message without permission.”Blackmer pointed out that many people have email contact lists and the spurious message could easily have been passed to a wider audience.Laughing, Lederman advised Blackmer to develop “a better sense of humor.” In Lederman?s defense Dick Nohelty said, “It went to a select group. People knew Dr. Dulac didn?t send it, and it didn?t hurt anybody.””Jonathan, all you had to do was say ?April Fool? at the end,” Kathy Leonardson said. “That would have helped.” Chairman EuRim Chun asked Lederman “to acknowledge that some of us were offended.”Blackmer asked Lederman if he would agree never to do anything similar again.?No,” Lederman said “but I?ll make sure you don?t get the next one.”