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Selectmen seek town-attorney guidance after dispute over filming at forum
Summary
Public commenters and a reporter raised concerns about an edited video from a recent GOP forum and whether a private event was improperly treated as public; the chair said he has asked the town attorney for clarity on the town's obligations when a public facility hosts what organizers consider a private event.
During public input, a reporter who identified himself as David Spear of the Conway Sun and other attendees raised concerns that a video from a recent forum had been cut and edited and did not reflect remarks in full. Residents said the edited clip misrepresents the event and questioned whether attendees were improperly prevented from filming the entire session.
The chair acknowledged the concern and said he has submitted a legal question to the town attorney about whether a publicly owned facility may host private events and, if so, whether the town should adopt a policy to clarify access and filming rules. "I actually have a legal request out to town attorney asking for clarity ... we may have to put a policy in place to support that to prevent confusion," the chair said.
Board members discussed that some groups reserve the gym for events and that the question of whether a reservation can exclude public filming involves First Amendment considerations; the chair said the town will seek official guidance before changing practices. The board encouraged speakers to provide records or full footage to staff for review.
