LEWISTON — Four School Committee members walked out of Monday’s meeting in protest over a vote to appoint a new chairperson.

Lewiston School Committee Chairperson Megan Parks was nominated Monday for another term, which drew opposition from several members. Submitted photo.

Janet Beaudoin, Craig Charpentier, Donna Gallant and Meghan Hird left over Chairperson Megan Parks’ handling of the procedural rules.

According to district policy, the committee shall elect one of its members as chairperson by majority vote for a one-year term at its first meeting in January, “or as soon thereafter as possible.”

Ward 3 representative Elizabeth Eames nominated Parks for another term. Before City Council representative Scott Harriman seconded the motion, Beaudoin asked if she could nominate someone else.

Parks claimed that the motion needed to be completed before another member could be nominated, citing procedural rules. According to Parks, another motion for a different nomination would have been possible if the earlier motion had been rejected.

“The procedural rules dictate that (if) there’s a motion on the table, that one gets voted on. If that one fails, then it goes to the next motion,” Parks said.

The motion to have Parks nominated for a new term passed 5-4, with Beaudoin, Charpentier, Gallant and Hird opposing it.

“My concern is that there was only one nomination put up. There could have been other nominations that another committee member would like to put forward, but none of the committee members were able to hear any other nominations because we only voted on that one nomination that was heard,” Hird said.

“The chair called on one person first, conveniently, someone that was nominating herself, and the vote went through. You didn’t even get to hear who I was going to nominate,” Beaudoin said. “I do think a nomination process for a committee like this should involve everyone’s nominations on the table,” she added.

“It just doesn’t feel good, doesn’t feel democratic,” Gallant said. “Where’s the fairness? I had a hard time composing myself being cut off like that, that we were just voting in one person and there was no opportunity to have any other person nominated. That doesn’t even sound American to me.”

“I’m just saying everybody’s voice needs to be heard,” Hird said. “And by silencing other members of the committee, it’s icky and it’s gross,” she said shortly before leaving the meeting.

Beaudoin, Charpentier and Gallant also left within a few minutes.

Eames, who nominated Parks for another term, declined to comment Tuesday.

“I got up and walked out of that meeting out of frustration when the chair had the audacity during the next agenda item to call out Robert’s Rules (of Order) on me for abstaining from a vote,” Beaudoin said Tuesday.

Robert’s Rules of Order is a set of principles for deliberation and debate the committee relies on “if we don’t have local precedent,” Parks said.

“The exact same procedure for electing the chair used at Monday’s meeting was used last

Ward 3 Lewiston School Committee representative Elizabeth Eames nominated Chairperson Megan Parks for another term on Monday. Submitted photo

January with no opposition by any of the current members,” Parks wrote in an email Tuesday. “The only difference was last year Janet (Beaudoin) was nominated first and the motion to appoint her as chair failed 4-5.”

“A second motion was then made nominating me, and that passed 5-4,” Parks continued. “Had member Eames’ motion to nominate me failed on Monday, the floor would have been open to a second nomination, in the same manner as previous years.”

“Quite honestly, when we hold the actual election, and we do it correctly, perhaps in our next meeting, the turnout might be exactly the same, it’ll probably be a 5-4 split again,” Beaudoin said Tuesday. “This is a nonpartisan board, but we’re elected officials and politics always come into play. She will end up the chair when it’s all said and done and that’s completely fine.”

Lewiston School Committee member Janet Beaudoin said Tuesday she was unhappy with how the leadership nomination was handled. “I have a problem with the process and how it happened last night. I don’t enjoy being shut down and told that I can’t put a nomination on the table. That’s not how an election works,” she said. Submitted photo

“I don’t have a problem with that. I have a problem with the process and how it happened last night. I don’t enjoy being shut down and told that I can’t put a nomination on the table. That’s not how an election works,” Beaudoin added.

“I was not nominating myself,” Beaudoin said. “I wasn’t even going to nominate anyone that voted the same way I did last night, believe it or not, that wasn’t my intention. I had someone specific in mind that I was going to nominate that I think could work to bring us together as a board. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to nominate that person. But perhaps in the next meeting, I will.”

Parks said she is working with Superintendent Jake Langlais for a special meeting next Monday. “We will workshop our procedural rules and discuss the nomination process,” she said. “If we can come to an agreement on an alternative process, we will adopt new procedural rules that detail this process. We can then open the floor to potentially reverse Monday’s vote and follow the newly adopted procedures.”

Parks said she does not “foresee this impacting the end result as committee members have indicated they do not intend to change their vote, but it will at least reflect our willingness to repair the harm for those who believe they have been denied a voice, and secure a procedure moving forward that we can all agree upon.”

“I am 100% confident in whatever the will of the committee is, if we come back at our next meeting and revisit this and the outcome is the same for nominations,” Hird said. “As long as there’s fair due process, I am fine with the outcome. The issue I had last night was that there was no due process. Our rules were not followed. The procedure was not followed and members’ voices were not heard.”

Meghan Hird, Ward 6 representative on the Lewiston School Committee, called Monday’s nomination process for chairperson “icky” and “gross.” Submitted photo

“I don’t know if the (school committee) will rescind its vote but there will be an opportunity to do so,” Langlais said in an email Tuesday.

The committee’s next regular meeting is Jan. 27.