Laconia School Board tables proposed censure after member filed complaint with state

The Laconia School Board on Oct. 21 debated a proposed resolution condemning Board member Laura Dunn for filing a public complaint with the New Hampshire Department of Education that board leaders said appeared to represent the board without authorization. After more than an hour-long discussion the board voted 5–1 to table the resolution and to circulate the complaint documents to members before the next meeting.

The proposed resolution stated the board “hereby formally censures Board member Dunn for acting without proper authorization and submitting a complaint to the New Hampshire Department of Education purporting to represent the school board.” Board members who supported the resolution said that when an elected member signs official correspondence using their board title it can create the impression the board as a whole took that action, which is governed by RSA 189:1 and board policies BBAA and BCA.

“I have a right to that,” Laura Dunn said in response, arguing she submitted the complaint as an individual parent and citizen and used her school-board email out of convenience. “I did not imply or give the appearance that my complaint was on behalf of the full board,” she said, adding she would use a personal email address in the future to avoid confusion.

Board members pressing for the resolution said the issue is not the complaint’s substance but the protocol: individual board members do not have authority to act for the board outside a duly constituted meeting. One member framed the filing as “acting with powers that you do not have as an individual board member” and said the board must preserve “unity, procedural integrity, and adherence to adopted policies.” Assistant Superintendent Lisa Hines told the board several staff members and parents have expressed concern and that the matter had been raised with district administration.

Before the board took a final vote on the proposed censure, a motion to table was offered and seconded. The motion to table carried 5–1. The chair told members she would obtain the formal complaint document and send it to the full board so members could review it in advance of the next meeting. The board did not adopt the proposed resolution nor did it enter a formal censure in the record at this meeting; the tabling motion and the direction to circulate the complaint constituted the formal action.

The board’s discussion repeatedly separated three things: the underlying complaint’s merits (which would be handled under State complaint procedures), the question of whether the filing created an appearance of acting for the board, and whether the board should formally admonish a member. Several members urged more time to review the written complaint before deciding on discipline. The board chair said the district’s counsel assisted in drafting the proposed resolution.

Next steps: the chair will circulate the full text of the complaint to board members prior to the next meeting so members can review the underlying document before the censure resolution is taken up again.