JAY — At the Regional School Unit 73 board of directors meeting on March 28, three current directors were asked to resign by Roger Moulton, who swore several times at the end of his comments before being asked to leave.

Moulton, of Livermore Falls, is a candidate for a position on the board. Livermore Falls has two three-year terms that will be determined on April 23. They are currently held by D. Robin Beck and Phoebe Pike who are seeking reelection.

“This video has been edited due to language,” the video recording of the school board meeting, available on the district’s website and YouTube note at about the 23:38 mark.

Moulton’s comments were about the Feb. 29 meeting when directors voted seven to five to allow the book “Rick” to remain in the Spruce Mountain Elementary School library. Concerns about the book were first raised at the Jan. 25 meeting.

“I come here tonight more furious than I have ever been when I come to these meetings,” Moulton said. “I got a phone call that night from a board member who let me know I made a mistake. That one of your board members was going to present the motion to move the book up to the middle school, minus one copy that would be left behind the library teacher’s desk for fifth graders only. I was told that my speech changed their mind.”

Moulton said there were two problems. “For one, my speech should never, never, ever allow you to negatively affect my child,” he noted. “If it will allow you to negatively affect my children, I am asking you right now to resign. Secondly, it proves that there was a quorum before the vote. I was told that Robin Beck was going to make that introduction and that Elaine Fitzgerald was going to second it. Bob Staples is the one that called me and told me that. I am going to ask the three of you to resign effective immediately.”

“First of all, three is not a quorum,” Staples said. “We did not meet. Seven is a quorum.”

Moulton said those discussions shouldn’t happen before a meeting, it is in district policy and state law. “You are not supposed to devise motions before you are sitting here at the meeting,” he stated. “You know that sir. I am asking you to resign.

“You think that is a good thing, that you guys decided to leave this for an eight-year old because I made you angry? That is acceptable to you?” he asked.

Moulton also spoke about the district’s policy on library materials and asked if the magazine Hustler would be allowed in the high school library based on that policy’s wording.

“This is comment, this is not discussion,” Staples stated.

Moulton asked for an answer, thought it valid.

“This is your comment, time for you to comment,” Staples said. “It is not time for discussions back and forth.”

“OK, so I guess I will just continue to repeat that I am asking the three of you to resign because you very clearly had your mind made up before the meeting,” Moulton said. “You can shake your heads but Bob Staples ain’t going to call and lie to me, Elaine. You all need to go. If you don’t have the children’s best interests in mind, get away. If something I do convinces you to change doing what is right for children, you are a pathetic human being and you need to go away. Absolute [obscenity]. I don’t even expect that [obscenity] from my children. let alone grown adults. You should be [obscenity] ashamed of yourselves.”

“Hey, time to go,” Staples said.

“Yeah, I know it’s time to go,” Moulton replied. “Now you guys all smile some more while you [obscenity] our kids and piss me off.”

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Blue Crew robotics team competes in qualifying events

Next »

Pets of the Week