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The Cambridge School Committee last night voted four to one with two absentions to table a motion to appoint Frank J.Frisoli '35, former superintendent of Cambridge schools, assistant superintendent of schools.
James F.Fitzgerald, who moved to table the motion he had originally seconded, said he wanted to give "the majority" of the School Committee "a chance to think it over."
The Committee had voted over a year ago not to reinstate Frisoli as superintendent of schools. Unlike Fitzgerald, the four members who voted against Frisoli a year ago were members of the liberal Cambridge Civic Association.
Reassignment
At a brief public hearing before last night's vote, John J.Wrenn, president of Citizens for Frisoli, said Frisoli's supporters had expected he would become assistant superintendent once the decision to reassign him within the district had been made.
Frisoli had served as assistant superintendent before his temporary appoinment to the superintendent's post.
After demoting Frisoli, the School Committee reassigned him to an assistant headmaster's position at Rindge Technical High School.
"At the time of the motion to reassign him [Frisoli] from his position as superintendent, no mention was made of his inability to hold the office of assistant superintendent," Wrenn said.
Out of Order
Donald A. Fantini, who moved to reinstate Frisoli as assistant superintendent, agreed with Wrenn that the School Committee was out of order in deciding on Frisoli's new position.
Wrenn said that Alflorence Cheatham, Frisoli's successor as superintendent of schools, should evaluateFrisoli's ability to serve as assistant superintendent.
In an interview, Wrenn estimated that Citizens for Frisoli represented the views of roughly 7000 Cambridge parents. He said the organization gathered 16,000 names last year on a petition to hold a city-wide referendum on Frisoli's ouster.
The School Committee will take up the motion to reinstate Frisoli as assistant superintendent at its March 20 meeting.
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