RSU 21 School Board wants to move forward after ex-chair's 'hurtful' post against teachers

KENNEBUNK, Maine — RSU 21 School Board member Peter Sentner said Monday he was ready to resign from his position if then-chair Erin Nadeau did not step down from hers, following an incendiary remark she made against a group of teachers on social media.

“I would not let it stand,” Sentner told the public.

Last week, Nadeau resigned from the School Board after she called a group of teachers “cowards” on Facebook and said they behaved as though they were at a “rally,” one at which “instead of sheets, they wore red.” Nadeau said her comments were meant to be private.

Sentner called Nadeau’s remark comparing teachers to the Ku Klux Klan as “harmful,” “disrespectful,” and “so far out of line.” He expressed regret that it happened to the district’s teachers, many of whom had dressed in red to show solidarity during the budget meeting.

“I’m deeply sorry that it happened to you,” Sentner told the teachers.

A little more than an hour later, Sentner’s colleagues voted him in as the new chair of the board, a position in which he will serve until the end of the current fiscal year in six weeks.

Gayle Spofford, who had been acting chair since Nadeau stepped down, now will serve as vice chair through June 30.

With new leadership on the board, Sentner and his colleagues sought to move past the current controversy and agreed to have a special meeting at some point during the next 10 days to create an action plan for moving forward.

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Earlier in the meeting, board members and Superintendent Terri Cooper heard from teachers and residents struggling with last week’s social media incident and tensions that have been mounting in the district for quite some time. They delivered their remarks during an extended public comment forum that lasted close to 90 minutes.

A few teachers described what they considered a work environment in which they are underpaid and do not feel heard or respected by the School Board and the Cooper administration. They also spoke of operating in fear of retaliation and of being called a racist if they express any legitimate criticism of the leadership provided by Cooper, who is Black.

“There is a distinct disconnect between the board and administration and our staff, and I think it’s time for problem-solving,” said Sarah Lynn, an education technician at Kennebunk Elementary School.

Lynn asked how the line of communication can be reopened between local union leaders and the School Board.

“How can we ensure protection from retribution?” Lynn asked. “An overwhelming amount of staff and faculty are afraid to stand up. We fear being labeled, relocated, or retaliated against, professionally.”

Others who spoke called for improved communication, criticizing the board and the administration for what they described as a limited effort to address the Nadeau fallout to the RSU 21 community.

As well, some who spoke offered suggestions for moving forward. Brooke Stratford, the president of the Parent-Teacher Association at Kennebunk Elementary School, for example, recommended adding seats on the School Board for local educators, much like room is provided for student representatives. Among other measures, Stratford also called for public forums to be held once a month so the School Board can dedicate itself to listening more to the district’s stakeholders.

The comments on Monday followed ones also made by teachers and residents during an emergency meeting the board held on Friday. During that meeting, School Board members emerged from an executive session and issued a statement in which they officially accepted Nadeau’s resignation and emphasized that the views she expressed were not those of the board.

Reading the statement, Spofford called Nadeau’s comment “egregious” and “deeply hurtful” to the community and to the district’s teachers.

“We are dedicated to restoring trust between our board and the community,” Spofford said. “What unites us is a shared commitment to the students, teachers and staff of RSU 21.”

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On Monday, Cooper declined an opportunity to be interviewed by the Coast Star. At the meeting that evening, however, Cooper acknowledged that Nadeau’s social media comment was “hurtful” and reiterated that she and the board members did not share her sentiment.

“You have to take that as truth, and you have to take that as a new starting place for us,” Cooper told the public.

Cooper said she believes that “something good” can come out of moments of challenges and adversities. She said the RSU 21 community has two paths from which to choose for moving forward: one in which everyone looks behind and cannot get past any difficulties, and one in which everyone acknowledges the problems and works together, “so we can have a better school district for RSU 21.”

While some who spoke on Friday and Monday called for Cooper to resign, a few others showed support for her. Emily Gannon, of Kennebunkport, for example, asked for grace and urged others to understand what it might be like for Cooper, who as a leader in the district is the only Black woman in the room.

“I hope we give everybody grace,” Gannon said.

Ryan Quinn, the principal of Kennebunk Elementary School, where Cooper’s head office is based, said he is appreciative of the current administration and the School Board. He also spoke in favor of the district’s teachers.

“There is far more that is positive than negative,” Quinn said. “Our teachers make sure of that every day.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: RSU 21 School Board wants to move past ex-chair's 'hurtful' post