Attorneys representing Tahiliani, her former deputy superintendent, Kim Tsai, and two people who read the document but asked not to be named for fear of retaliation said the investigator found little or no evidence to support the allegations of discrimination against Tahiliani.

School officials declined to release the report to the Globe in response to a public records request, citing pending litigation. DeMaria and members of the School Committee did not respond to requests for comment. DeMaria previously denied to the Globe the allegations in the lawsuit filed by Tahiliani.

There may be reasons to withhold information during an investigation, said Jamie Gass, director of the Center for School Reform at the Pioneer Institute, a fiscally conservative think tank in Boston. he said.

“If not, they should explain why,” he said.

Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, which promotes access to government and its work, said it’s important for the public to know when allegations are made against a school official — and the outcome of an investigation.

“We have a right to know what the investigation found,” Silverman said.

Tahiliani, who started just before the pandemic, was chosen to lead a school district in a city where local leadership and staff have long been white and unrepresentative of Everett’s diversity. Two-thirds of Everett’s roughly 7,300 students are Hispanic; more than one in 10 are black students, and 5 percent are Asian.

Seeing a black woman lead the district — Tahiliani is Indian-American — was deeply inspiring, said Gianna Martin, 22, an Everett High School graduate who worked as an intern for the school department during Tahiliani’s tenure. It means leadership will have a stronger understanding of the lived experiences many residents face, she said.

“Things have changed, and we need people who are part of our community, who lead and represent it,” said Martin, who now studies history at UMass Lowell.

Some community members say Tahiliani’s ouster after nearly four years leading the school district — and receiving public support and positive performance reviews — was because of city politics.

According to the federal lawsuit filed by Tahiliani and Tsai, soon after arriving in Everett, it was apparent that there was institutional racism and sexism in the city’s administration and that a patronage “old boy network” operated to ensure that Everett was cared for of “his. own political class.” The complaint further describes a network of family alliances and connections in city administration.

After Tahiliani took over, she began diversifying the ranks of the public school leadership team, which had been 100 percent white, according to the lawsuit.

“Ms. Tahiliani and Ms. Tsai have been subjected to degrading and sexist comments, abusive and disparate treatment, and retaliatory attacks simply because they are women of color who refused to maintain a ‘whites only’ hiring policy for all positions of work at the district level and engaged in protected conduct,” the lawsuit says.

In March 2023, DeMaria, who serves on the School Committee, was part of Vote 6-4 not to renew Tahiliani’s contract. At the time, Tahiliani’s critics on the board said their decision was based in part on teacher complaints and the cleanliness of school buildings, among other reasons.

Tom Abruzzese, a former School Committee member who served as president when Tahiliani was hired, said the board was “looking for someone who could completely change the culture of the Everett School Department, and that would extend to the entire Everett community.” For example, one of Tahiliani’s predecessors, Frederick F. Forestryhad been placed on leave amid complaints of sexual harassment in the end of 2018; he was convicted and forced to register as a sex offender last year.

“I think it did, and the reaction is what we’re seeing now,” Abruzzese said.

DeMaria has spoken openly in the past about seeking revenge against those who challenged him.

“Let me tell you, I’ve raised a lot of money and I’m going after a lot of people.” DeMaria told the fans during a victory speech on election night 2021.

Abruzzese and the two people who viewed the Tahiliani investigative report said many elected leaders have been silent in the months since her ouster because of a climate of fear.

“When you’re in Everett, you’re constantly afraid to speak,” Abruzzese said. “If you speak, who knows what will happen to you or your relatives?”

Some in Everett pointed to Samantha Lambert, a former School Committee member who supported Tahiliani’s reinstatement, as an example of an elected official being punished for supporting the former superintendent. In June, Lambert announced he was resigning and moving out of town. At the time, she suggested in strong language that outside pressure on her family was a factor in the decision.

“For those of you who have actively tried to harm me, I have only three words: ‘Bless your heart.’ Because you’re not hurting me, you’re hurting my kids,” Lambert said, according to a recording of one meeting.

Some in Everett are frustrated that repeated reports of harassment and discrimination within city government and the school system haven’t drawn more attention from the state education department or the U.S. attorney’s office. which announced an investigation into possible civil rights violations in Everett city government in 2022.

Among them is Thalia Patino Molanowho graduated from Everett High School in June and wants Tahiliani’s reputation restored. Molana, 18, who now attends Boston University, described being inspired by Tahiliani, including while working with her as part of a high school youth council.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Priya,” she said. “It’s people like her who push kids forward.”

John Hilliard can be reached at [email protected].