| 0:00:27 | A new board is seated | Whitney: “I would like to welcome Lauren [Loren] Howard to the board and Mr. William Madden to the board.” Sprague at 0:00:53: “Like to nominate Mike patron [Petrin], the space [vice] chair.” | |
| 0:02:23 | How the chair structured public comment | “say your piece now on the non-agenda item or the agenda related item of your choice. Three minutes per individual. And nobody can speak twice until everyone has spoken.” At 0:02:49: others could speak “after we have a full debate but prior to our vote.” At 0:03:41: a sign-in sheet for name and ward, and a non-resident parent allowed to speak. | OBSERVATION POSITIVE |
| 0:04:09 | Liza Draper (Ward 3): the case law | “It was put in place in 2016 for the protection of our trans and gender nonconforming students. And if you read it carefully, it has in it the comment that everything should be addressed on a case by case basis.” At 0:05:01, Gavin Grimm: “he won a $1.3 million settlement against said school district”. At 0:07:26: “Please think carefully.” | OBSERVATION |
| 0:08:13 | Camron Lownie (Ward 2), Disnard teacher | “I can’t do my job of teaching reading, writing unless the kids are emotionally safe.” At 0:09:18: the executive order’s survival “seems 5050 at best.” At 0:10:40: “roughly half have strongly considered suicide in the past year. That’s the whole ball game right there.” | |
| 0:11:30 | Kelly Fontaine (Ward 1), teacher | At 0:11:56: “There was a student, that was very dear to me that was at the high school who was a transgender student shortly before this policy was written.” At 0:12:19: “A 14 year old cannot blaze their own trail.” | |
| 0:13:01 | Patrick Adrian (Ward 1): why removal, not review? | “Why is this one removal? Why not review?” “Frank and I were on the board that passed this policy back in 2016.” At 0:14:40: “There’s not going to be any pulling of federal funding anytime soon.” At 0:14:59, of the NHSBA: “Sit down. You you get together your your legal counsel and you talk about it.” | OBSERVATION |
| 0:15:49 | Dylan Marsh, parent: the NHSBA and the money | At 0:16:13: an email “from Barrett Christina, the executive director of the New Hampshire School Board Association, to another school board chair, saying, I do not recommend removing any policy.” At 0:17:09: “we have a price that we are willing to accept to remove civil rights for students.” | OBSERVATION |
| 0:17:57 | Onyx Adrian (Ward 1), student | “every other policy that is in the agenda for tonight is under, review rather than complete removal.” At 0:18:46: “students are more willing to cooperate and to learn when they feel in a safe environment.” | |
| 0:20:08 | Jess Dyer (Ward 1): what is the plan? | “I regretfully admit that I have never spoke at a school board meeting”. At 0:20:54: “if this is really about the threat to federal funding, what is the plan going forward?” At 0:22:49: “I see you. I’m glad you’re here. You matter and we’re going to fight for you.” | |
| 0:23:17 | Anna O’Hara and Hanna Brooks | O’Hara at 0:24:06: “This is not leadership. It is capitulation to outside pressure at the expense of our most vulnerable students.” Brooks at 0:25:36: “28% of transgender youth in New Hampshire high schools have attempted suicide in the past year.” | |
| 0:26:20 | Jen Gallagher (Ward 1): the mission statement | “Just a year ago, I was sitting right where you are.” At 0:26:45: “It doesn’t say some students. It doesn’t say gender conforming students. It says every student.” At 0:27:21: “complying in advance sends the wrong message”. | |
| 0:27:39 | Rep. Hope Damon: process | “State Representative Hope Damon serving the nine towns of Sullivan district eight.” “the process so far is extremely incomplete”; she hopes for “a motion later this evening to table this and get legal advice”. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:28:58 | Rep. Wayne Hemingway: the other side | “I’m Wayne Hemingway, state rep, district eight”. At 0:29:20: “Where is the justice for the non trans?” “there are provisions in there that do not protect everyone”. At 0:29:52: “When you allow a male into a female bathroom, without the separations and the abilities to give them privacy, as the policy says, then we are putting our children in a position where they could be harmed.” At 0:31:00: “we need to hear both sides.” | |
| 0:31:32 | Sam Torres replies; the chair asks for respect | “as a female, I have never once felt threatened in a bathroom. And if a man were to come into the bathroom, I would feel more threatened by a man like you than any queer person I’ve ever met.” Whitney at 0:32:05: “there are no villains in this room”. | |
| 0:32:53 | Codi Raymond (Ward 1): protected class | “I didn’t actually see in the board packet where there was a direct order from anyone to get rid of this policy”. “gender identity is still a protected class under state statutes”. At 0:33:22: “if you can remove this policy, but you still have to provide everything that’s in it until the law changes.” | OBSERVATION |
| 0:33:54 | Ken Brummel (Ward 2): process | “Our government did not pass any legislation.” “lawyers are about protecting assets. They are not protecting the mission.” | |
| 0:35:24 | Jess Dyer’s second turn | “gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation.” The chair: “Please address the chair.” At 0:36:55: the administration had “Took away the federal ban for public facilities to have protections for like segregation and stuff.” | |
| 0:38:14 | Rebecca MacKenzie (Ward 2) | “as a mental health professional.” At 0:38:30: the district’s survey (“a y s, [YRBS] survey”) shows children “that do not feel safe and that do contemplate suicide.” | |
| 0:40:47 | Comment closes; the superintendent’s statement | “We reached our 30 minute limit for public comments.” Pratt at 0:41:58: “If the policy j, B, a, b is tabled, removed or rescinded. We want to assure the community that a robust framework of existing policies and procedures will continue to protect the students.” At 0:42:58: “the district has designated a title nine co-ordinator”. | OBSERVATION OBSERVATION |
| 0:43:21 | Nonpublic session; the tape pauses | “I need a motion to move into nonpublic session.” Crawford: “So moved.” Sprague: “Second.” Koski at 0:43:32 reads the exemption (“RSA 9184132. Print sees a.” in the transcript; the minutes give RSA 91-A:3, II(a) and (c) in full). Roll call. The recording resumes at 0:45:21; the return motion is at 0:45:32, and at 0:45:48 Whitney moves “to seal the nonpublic minutes for six months.” | MEDIUM POSITIVE |
| 0:46:09 | Appointments | “although some of the members are not present, they have consented or they will find out that they have been volunteered to do certain things.” | |
| 0:51:14 | JBAB: counsel’s letter | Koski: “There is a letter from Attorney Upton in your packet”; “it has been rescinded by the New Hampshire School Board Association with advice to contact council, which we did.” At 0:51:45: “The policy JBABB rescinded or enforcement of the policy be suspended. So void any possibility that federal funding might be compromised.” The letter, appended to the minutes, is time-stamped 3:49 p.m. that day and says JBAB “has not been reviewed since the adoption of RSA 193:41 or in response to recent changes relative to Title IX”. | OBSERVATION OBSERVATION |
| 0:52:06 | The motion as first made | Crawford: “That the policy, the enforcement of the policy be suspended until we can have further discussion with our school board attorney and the review of this policy by our policy committee.” Sprague: “I’ll second.” At 0:53:37: “with the next three months.” | |
| 0:53:49 | Sprague: too specific | At 0:54:15: “With such specificity, I think exposes us to legal consequences due to that specificity.” He would put decisions to building leaders or the superintendent, “with an avenue for an appeal to the school board”. At 0:54:48: “one of the problems with JD [JBAB] is there’s literally too much to it.” | |
| 0:56:09 | Madden on the policy book | “I’m starting to read the policies of the school board as opposed to just Stevens. They don’t match.” “there’s stuff from 2007 where I really believe it’s never been proofread”. The chair kept him to the motion. | |
| 0:57:18 | Howard’s amendment dies | “I’m in support of tabling this until we can make revisions with legal counsel. But I’d like to amend it to not suspend the current policy that’s in place.” At 0:58:01: “Is there anyone in support of seconding that motion?” At 0:58:09: “Seeing no second the motion fails.” | |
| 0:58:22 | Crawford: what changed her mind | “that’s where I was until I read the response from our attorney. I, I was there half an hour ago.” At 0:58:59: “I have talked to the attorney also, and he assures me that this wording is appropriate.” | OBSERVATION |
| 1:01:05 | Howard: no explicit threat | “us not having a timeline from the federal government and an actual explicit threat to pull Claremont’s funding, there’s no reason to remove this policy”. At 1:01:57: “you’re not going to get this $10 million if you don’t undo this.” | |
| 1:02:35 | Whitney: parts are already non-compliant | “there are some portions of the policy that are not compliant currently. Regardless.” “we are non-compliant with parental involvement and notification.” At 1:03:06: “So those actions would be unenforceable as the policy stands now.” Howard at 1:04:03 proposed removing only the parental-rights portion. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:05:10 | One of 15 districts | Whitney: “we were one of only 15 districts that actually have has a specific policy related to transgender and nonconforming youth.” Crawford at 1:06:06: “It hasn’t been an issue.” Howard at 1:06:50: “suspension and removal, even if it’s just three months or synonymous for trans kids in our schools”. At 1:07:47: “Trans children absolutely knew this policy existed.” | |
| 1:08:19 | Whitney: the culture is the people | “I personally do not feel that this policy has created the positive culture that we’ve had in our district”. At 1:09:42: “I cannot foresee a sea change of culture shift”. Crawford at 1:09:55: “my motion is to table the policy. It is not to rescind the policy”. | |
| 1:11:05 | Second window: Rebecca, CMS teacher (Ward 1) | At 1:11:08: “My feeling is that suspending the enforcement is the same as removing it.” At 1:12:03: “I am so proud of this district for being one of the 15 who stood up.” At 1:13:25: “suspension is the same as removing.” | |
| 1:14:02 | Ken Lownie (Ward 2) | At 1:14:51: “it’s just that little piece of rescinding the enforcement of it. That’s the headline that will come out of this”. At 1:15:12: “Just love the kids, just love the kids.” | |
| 1:15:55 | Matt Mooshian (Ward 3) | “I’m a former at large city councilor here in Clermont [Claremont].” At 1:16:24: “28% of transgender students in New Hampshire attempted suicide.” | |
| 1:17:57 | Eric Bentley (Ward 2): suspend and retool | At 1:19:18: “You’re not going to disclose information to parents, which I think is probably the number one issue in the entire policy.” At 1:19:47: “I think suspending and reviewing the policy and maybe retooling it in a way that leaves out some of those more concerning issues, would be the smart thing to do.” | |
| 1:20:50 | A second turn refused | Adrian asks to speak on “The history. Of this policy”. Whitney at 1:21:28: “I think it is irrelevant to this board who administered the policy? No. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry you spoke earlier.” Minutes: “Patrick Adrian requested to speak regarding the history of the policy and Ms. Whitney denied the request”. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:22:36 | Why no lawyer tonight? | Rochford-Hague: “I’m wondering why there isn’t legal representation here tonight”. Whitney at 1:22:58: “There’s no legal representation here because we consulted our attorney and got advice.” Howard at 1:23:37: “We did get the email at 348 [3:48].” At 1:23:49: “he only got us his opinion on it at 4:00 today, which is sort of hardly enough time to actually read the email.” | OBSERVATION |
| 1:24:57 | The friendly amendment | Howard: “it would be to move forward with this motion, but to not suspend the policy during that period of revision and review. We can still keep the three month timeline.” Crawford at 1:25:31: “Table it. We will table any action on this, on this policy until review by our policy committee and our school attorney.” Whitney: “Within three months.” | |
| 1:26:35 | The chair speaks against the amended motion | “I have consider myself a person who is would be considered an ally of the LGBTQ community.” At 1:27:47: “I’m extremely protective of women’s faces [spaces].” At 1:28:38: “I am in favor of suspension because I believe that there are more rights on the table here.” At 1:29:46: “I don’t consent for my father in law to present when I’m undressing.” At 1:32:19: “my issue really is consent.” At 1:33:25: “the vocal folks here do not necessarily represent the entirety of the parents in the district.” | |
| 1:30:42 | Howard’s reply | “it says a case by case basis.” “Your concern of a male in the locker room is something that would happen with or without a policy.” At 1:31:56: “we would have had increasingly numbers of reported sexual harassment cases in locker rooms over the last ten years that the policy had been in place.” | |
| 1:34:29 | The vote: 3–2, JBAB stays in force | The chair puts “the motion as it stands, which is allowing the policy to stand” (1:33:59). Chorus at 1:34:48; at 1:34:52: “So 3 to 2 motion passes.” Names from the minutes: Howard, Madden and Crawford for; Sprague and Whitney against. | |
| 1:35:45 | Table the Title IX policies? | Crawford moves to table the rest. Sprague at 1:36:37: “So are these changes due to executive orders?” Koski: “No. Changes to title nine to the federal law.” At 1:36:53: “January 9th, I believe.” At 1:37:07: an emergency read because “being outside of the federal law creates a lot of liability for the district.” Crawford at 1:37:25: “this is just gotten sprung on us as school board members.” | OBSERVATION |
| 1:38:37 | “fully vetted” or not | Whitney: “these were fully vetted by the New Hampshire School Board Association.” Crawford at 1:39:34: “They weren’t vetted by the policy committee. I did not hear anything from our school board attorney.” Whitney at 1:41:14: “I had asked not to have all these policies come to this meeting”. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:40:04 | Koski: tabling ACAC leaves the coordinator out of step | “If we table AC, AC [ACAC], it lays out the processes for me to follow as the title nine coordinator. I would then be out of compliance for any title nine investigations that may occur in the next three months, and I get them about once every two weeks.” At 1:41:42: under the new law the definition’s “or is are replaced with ands”; at 1:42:10, “ten days for, response by the defendant, ten days for response to that response by the accuser.” | OBSERVATION |
| 1:43:59 | Madden: “pushed into doing something” | “I’m not allowed to visit the schools now because the policies have not been complied with.” At 1:44:14: “I feel like there’s no executive summary sheet here that tells me exactly what the implications are. I feel like I’m being pushed into doing something without full knowledge”. Koski at 1:44:56: “it hasn’t been requested in the past”. Offered abstention, at 1:45:57: “It’s an option and it’s an abdication of my responsibility.” | OBSERVATION |
| 1:46:57 | Tabling fails; ACAC to second read | “Motion fails. We’ll move forward.” Koski at 1:47:02: ACAC “is the policy we followed until August of 2024”; at 1:47:32, “we’re just we’re returning to a prior title nine version.” Moved to second read, not adopted. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:52:16 | ACN wording | Koski: “the language has changed. To nursing mothers from people in need of lactation.” Howard at 1:52:51: “I think it’s silly that we have to discuss, even change the language because those terms are synonymous. But I’m going to vote yes nonetheless.” | |
| 1:55:43 | More policies to update | Koski: “Mr. Madden has mentioned there are many more that need to be updated.” Madden: “Yeah. No, they all need to be updated.” | |
| 1:56:23 | NHSBA delegate | Sprague: the association “is essentially a lobbying group, and they lobby in Concord on behalf of their membership.” Howard volunteers; Sprague alternate. | |
| 1:58:35 | The pre-populated agenda | “prior to the establishment of this pre-populated agenda, we had issues with kind of items falling off to the wayside and, you know, not being addressed”. At 2:00:14: timed to match district activities such as state test results. | POSITIVE |
| 2:04:56 | A $45,000 CTE grant needs a hearing | Crawford: “Miss Harrington got a grant for about $45,000 for, self screening equipment and training of the staff to enhance the entrepreneurship program”. At 2:05:29: “But we have to put it on the agenda and have a hearing. So that will be on next meetings agenda.” A CTE facilities review follows at the second April meeting. | POSITIVE |