The Lewiston School Committee said it is committed to maintaining integrity, student safety and due process in the wake of the criminal indictment of one of its members.

The statement, released Friday by Chairwoman Megan Parks, follows the indictment committee member and city councilor-elect Iman Osman.

Osman was indicted last week on charges alleging he stole two firearms between late 2023 and 2024. The charges come weeks after he was elected to represent Ward 5 on the City Council.

Osman, who remains on the School Committee before his January inauguration to the City Council, has denied any wrongdoing through his attorney.

“We fully understand and acknowledge the optics of this situation, as well as the potential impact it may have on students, families, and the broader community,” Parks said.

She added that the committee’s responsibility is modeling the values expected of students and to ensure decisions support a safe space for them. 

“We want to state clearly that the School Committee does not condone any behaviors tied directly or indirectly to gun violence or any illegal activities,” Parks said.

Parks also noted that an indictment is an allegation and that the court system, not the School Committee, determines legal outcomes. The committee has requested a legal opinion on its responsibilities, she said. 

After Mayor Carl Sheline publicly called Thursday for Osman to resign from the committee and the council, many residents have questioned why school officials have not taken action to remove him. 

However, Parks said, city and state law limits what the committee can do.

“Under the City Charter and Maine law, the School Committee does not have the authority to force the resignation of an elected official,” Parks said. “The decision to resign belongs solely to the individual elected to the seat.”

Parks said the committee will continue to enforce decorum at meetings, ensuring staff, students and the public can participate “safely and productively.” 

Questions over Osman’s residency and now the indictment have brought residents to recent School Committee seeking action.

A move to investigate Osman’s residency was denied in late November.

Osman, a social worker and executive director of Lewiston Auburn Youth Network, was nominated by Sheline to the committee and confirmed by the council in 2024.