WESTBROOK – With an admission that the school administration made mistakes, Superintendent Marc Gousse promised residents at a public forum on Monday that he wants to “get it right” in Westbrook.

The forum, attended by nearly 100 residents, aimed to start a community-wide discussion of the school department’s policies and the controversial decision to lift student-athlete suspensions in November.

Several residents vented strong opinions months after the suspensions of about two-dozen Westbrook High School student-athletes were lifted by school administrators. The students had attended a party where alcohol was consumed, a violation of Westbrook’s student-athlete code of conduct policy. The suspensions were lifted the day of a Westbrook football playoff game.

“I apologize to the entire community that we didn’t get it right,” Gousse said. “I’m committed for the rest of my career to try to get it right.”

City Councilor Brendan Rielly, along with fellow Westbrook High School class of 1988 classmate Krista Martin, said they would like to see a plan formed to “address the issues facing our kids. Until we have one plan in place that we can track down, it becomes difficult to know what is actually happening.”

Rielly said the community faces issues of disrespect, bullying and lack of accountability.

“Students are identifying a feeling that nothing is getting done,” he said. “We bleed blue, and it breaks my heart to hear what kids are saying about their school.”

Residents also blamed the administration for low student and teacher morale at the high school, and pushed Westbrook administrators to lead by example.

Much of the controversy, which has polarized the community, stems from two related issues: the lack of policy clarity and the perception that school administrators caved in to parent-school board member interference.

Monday’s forum was the result of a key finding of a report conducted by Biddeford-based arbitrator John Alfano. The 26-page report, released in early February, faulted Westbrook parents, School Committee members and administrators, and called for community forums to discuss the existing code of conduct policy.

Jim Fahey, a father of two Westbrook High School students, said accountability is the biggest factor.

“Instead of holding people accountable for their actions, we’re looking at making excuses to allow the behavior to continue,” he said.

Fahey also offered harsh words for Gousse, stating that he would not tolerate “half-truths or being lied to.”

Fahey’s comments focused on a portion of Alfano’s report, which said the situation was complicated by the involvement of a school board member who is also actively involved in school volunteer organizations. The report did not identify the school board member.

Alfano said in the report that the committee member’s child, who was one of the students initially suspended, appealed the decision.

“Perhaps the board member needs to choose between the school board and volunteer activities, but engaging in both is not helpful to the board member, the school board, or WHS,” Alfano said in his report.

Alfano added that the board member’s appeal “had the appearance of special treatment,” because Gousse was present in the adjoining office during the appeal interview.

Gousse said last month that he was asked by Principal Jon Ross to be nearby in case he required “procedural advice,” but that was the sole reason for his presence in the school.

On Monday, Gousse said in response to Fahey that he did not lie, and would “go support my principal again. I stand by my actions,” he said.

Tony Bessey, a Westbrook resident, said during the forum that the most “disturbing” aspect of the Alfano report was that the unnamed parent and School Committee member “intimidated” Gousse.

“The people that we elect to represent us to the people that run our schools are intimidating the employees in our schools,” he said. “Our kids see that, and learn that.”

The report does not specifically say Gousse was intimidated.

Bessey said that if the community wants to support teachers and administrators, there needs to be “a code of conduct for our elected officials that says, ‘If you do this, you’re gone.’”

Westbrook resident Joe Salisbury said teachers are spending too much time policing students instead of teaching them.

“They just spend so much time doing things we should be doing as parents,” he said.

Westbrook High School senior Jacob Webster said that students will only respect teachers who lead by example.

“I’ve loved every single teacher I’ve had, but the people who we’re supposed to look up to aren’t being a good example to us,” he said. “I don’t want someone who doesn’t do what they tell me to do.”

Another high school student, Chelsea Rairdon, said she’d like to see more students show “Blue Blazes pride.” Rairdon said there is a stigma surrounding the city.

“I hate hearing that, and I want other communities to see how awesome we are,” she said.

Nicole Manganelli, the director of the nonprofit Unity Project, which hosts anti-bullying workshops in Westbrook and surrounding school districts, acted as facilitator for the forum.

Manganelli also serves on the school department’s Culture and Climate Committee, where staff members and students review school practices. At the forum, high school Principal Jon Ross said the committee is just one way the district is looking to establish an “environment where all students feel valued and recognized.”

Ross said a goal of the Culture and Climate Committee will be to “celebrate the positives” in Westbrook in order to boost the morale. “We’re not really doing a good job of that, and we need to start celebrating some of our successes.”

Ross said the school’s work to develop a “review panel” for the athletic code of conduct policy is also under way. He said any recommendations on changes to the policy would have to be made to the Westbrook School Committee’s policy committee by the end of April.

Gousse said Tuesday that the forum, while at times personal, had great energy and passion.

“The community deserved an apology,” he said. “It was an emotional evening for me.”

However, Gousse said, he and other administrators came away from the meeting seeing opportunities.

“Last night was a great step forward,” he said. “We’ve talked about respect and holding kids accountable. Last night was a great, level civil discourse.”

Gousse said that the next forum, on Tuesday, March 25, most likely in the high school cafeteria, would focus on table discussions, with group facilitation and ideas for possible policy changes. The time for the forum has not yet been set.

City Councilor Brendan Rielly and Westbrook resident Krista Martin share concerns during a community forum in the Westbrook High School auditorium Monday. Nicole Manganelli, right, facilitated the discussion.