Exeter Co-op School Board candidate who vowed to end DEIJ teaching defeated at polls

EXETER — A local mother who ran to remove diversity, equity, inclusion and justice teaching in SAU 16 schools was defeated at Tuesday’s election.

Peggy Massicotte lost her bid for the Exeter seat on the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board to incumbent Bill Gauthier by a vote of 3,377-1,682.

While Gauthier won all six towns, the race was competitive until the results from Exeter came in.

In Exeter, Gauthier overwhelmingly beat Massicotte by a vote of 1,602-507.

“I want to congratulate Bill on winning, he’s a very nice man,” she wrote in a text message on Wednesday. “Exeter is a Democratic machine, and he had a lot of support.”

Gauthier, the current chair of the board, said he was "thrilled" by the support and confidence placed in him to "continue the work I've been doing."

"I will continue to listen and take action, ensure that everything is going as we planned, and we will continue to be transparent and clear in the communication," he said.

Massicotte was behind a Change.org petition that calls for public schools to remove DEIJ, which was brought to SAU 16 in 2021. She also made it a focal point of her campaign.

“SAU 16 is teaching division and identity politics to children and that is terrifying,” she added. “Parents really need to pay attention.”

According to her petition, Massicotte said “DEI initiatives promote an inflexible ideology categorizing groups as ‘oppressors or ‘oppressed.’”

“This way of teaching has proven to be dangerous and should immediately be removed from public schools,” the petition stated. “DEI’s concepts are not inclusive and instead force exclusion and division within education.”

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Gauthier defended DEIJ on the campaign trail, stating it has had a positive influence on SAU 16 by helping students from all backgrounds. SAU 16 was the first school district in New Hampshire to hire a full-time DEIJ director.

The SAU 16 vision statement for DEIJ states the goal is to "prioritize equitable school experiences and outcomes for all learners through anti-oppressive mindsets and curriculum that centers on positive identity development, empathy, and justice in stewardship of our global community."

Massicotte said she’s not a political person, but “wants what’s best for all children.”

She said she has no plans to run again as she “has been pushed out” of the SAU 16 community.

“Someone at the deliberative session said, ‘Children deserve the icing, not just the cake,’" she said. "I 100% agree, however, in Exeter all the icing has been taken away.”

Gauthier previously said he ran for a second term to continue improving transparency and communication with the board and ensuring kids at all levels get the best education.

“To me, what’s most important is that every student gets the ability to be their best,” he said. “When students graduate from Exeter High School, we want them to be their best selves.”

Gauthier said he is “energized” by the work the board has done in the past three years, including navigating uncharted waters during COVID-19. But, he said that “there’s more work to do.”

"We've done a wonderful job the last couple of years with the budget and we want to stay on track," he said. "Making sure that we're giving high value in return to the taxpayers while also keeping our schools in great shape."

In other contested races on the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board, incumbent Amy Ransom defeated Jackie Tassinari by a vote of 2,928-1,633 for the Newfields seat.

Tammy Gunst, who ran unopposed for the Stratham seat, won the position handily with a vote of 4,073.

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Who won SAU 16 School Board races?

Exeter School Board

Heather Ikemire and Tim Reed, both of whom ran unopposed, were elected to the Exeter School Board.

Stratham School Board

Jennifer Scrafford and Paul Tusini defeated Jessica Kliskey and write-in candidate Kathleen Peck in the four-way race for two seats on the school board.

Newfields School Board

Jane Walsh defeated Jackie Tassiniari with a vote of 452-296 for a three-year term on the School Board.

East Kingston School Board

Paul Doyle, who ran unopposed, won the three-year term on the School Board.

Kensington School Board

Cheryl McDonough defeated Nicholas Sebasteanski with a vote of 165 to 4 for a three-year term on the School Board. Both were write-in candidates.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter Co-op voters reject anti-DEIJ candidate: Gauthier reelected