Boston Council Panel Demands Answers After Youth Job Fair Shutdown

BOSTON -- April 10, 2025, Boston City Council panel grills administration over chaotic March 28 youth job fair shutdown. The Committee on Strong Women, Families, and Communities, chaired by Council Member Erin J. Murphy, convened an emergency hearing Thursday on Docket 0821, a hearing order Murphy co-sponsored with Council Member Edward M. Flynn after the BOSS Youth Jobs and Resource Fair was abruptly shut down due to overcrowding and security lapses. Murphy, who was on site during the incident, said the administration initially tried to "downplay the severity of the situation" by proposing only targeted school-level outreach in response. Flynn called for expanded Boston Police presence at future events and suggested the city's youth employment program should be transferred to the Boston Private Industry Council, saying he did not believe the city could effectively administer it. The administration has agreed to reschedule the fair, though no date was announced.