Letter: First Amendment ends with the School Committee

Posted 6/3/21

During a Bristol Warren Regional School Committee meeting on May 24, a father and member of the community attempted to speak during public comment. He was cut off after only two or three sentences.

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Letter: First Amendment ends with the School Committee

Posted

During a Bristol Warren Regional School Committee meeting on May 24, a father and member of the community attempted to speak during public comment. He was cut off after only two or three sentences.

The concerned parent was going to read a letter to the Phoenix addressing the behavior of Carly Reich, a school committee member, who made a comment to a male member of the school committee claiming the male member was “mansplaining.” 

Ms. Reich was not only wrong to do so but also made the committee as a whole look as if they were not working for the community that they were elected to serve and a “woke” attitude is more accepted than logic.

Daryl Gould (the father) was not allowed time to speak during public comment because the attorney thought, I repeat, thought that Mr. Gould would criticize a member of the committee. 

The problem is, Mr. Gould was not allowed to speak because of the attorney’s perception of what his words would be.

If you watch the video on YouTube, you will see that Mr. Gould asked multiple times as to which statement was critical. Mind you, he composed a total of three sentences at this point.  The question was not answered. 

The attorney stated that his comment “may” be inappropriate. She had no clue herself if the comment was appropriate. This is what we taxpayers pay for. Uninformed legal advice. 

Unfortunately, Chairperson Marge McBride caved to the so-called attorney’s advice and closed public comment. She did not close public comment all together. She closed it for Mr. Gould only.

It is unfortunate that the progressive part of the (non-partisan) school committee can do as they please with impunity and the taxpayers and constituents that oppose have no say.

I think we were all wrong about our new superintendent and at least four of our school committee members. Going woke is destroying our children. Is that what you really want? 

Willfully suppressing constitutional rights for feel-good propaganda will only destroy our children for years.

Steve St. Angelo
Bristol

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